The name Las Covaticas means the little caves, and the whole area south of Vélez Blanco is a country of small hollows in the rock. The ground rises from the plain of Vélez Rubio to the long ridges of the Sierra de María, where pine forests and bare slopes meet wide sky, and the air at more than a thousand metres feels cool and thin. Vélez Rubio, a town of about 7,000 people 15 km away, is the largest place in the area, with a grand baroque church that seems too big for its surroundings. The Renaissance castle of Vélez Blanco stands nearby on its crag.
This part of Spain, the Altiplano de Los Vélez, has a long human history, and the cliffs hold many shelters that people used and painted long ago, among them the Cueva de los Pucheros. The UNESCO listing for the rock art of the Mediterranean Basin covers the painted ones, and access to any of them should be arranged through local museums and guides, as paintings are fragile and sites are protected.
The riding is open and quiet. Roads cross the plateau in long, gentle curves between almond and cereal fields, with the Sierra de María as a backdrop, and the surfaces are generally good. Wind is the main factor, and in winter ice can form on the higher parts, with snow now and then. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild days and clear light. The sky is notably dark at night, and the area is used for stargazing.
Vélez Rubio has everything a rider needs: fuel, supermarkets, bars and rooms. Local food is plain and hearty, with migas, stews of lamb and pork, and sweets made with almonds. Villages on the plateau often have a bar that serves a free tapa with each drink, in the tradition of Almería, so a stop for a beer or a coffee also feeds you. Keep an eye out for flocks of sheep and goats, which have right of way on many of the country roads.