In the early 1980s a skull found at Venta Micena, near the village of Orce in Granada, caused a minor sensation: it was said to belong to the oldest human in Europe, perhaps a million and a half years old. The claim was fiercely disputed, and many specialists now believe that the skull is from a horse, but the Orce basin is still one of the key places for early human presence in Western Europe, with stone tools and remains of ancient animals. The area lies not far from Vélez-Blanco, and it is one of the reasons why the northern Almería and Granada highlands have such a deep sense of the past.
Against that background, the shelters of Lavadero Tello are recent, a few thousand years old at most. The place lies in the Sierra María-Los Vélez natural park, sixteen kilometres from Vélez-Blanco, with a landscape of pine woods, white limestone and almond terraces that rise towards the peak of Maimón at over two thousand metres. It is not a desert, as most people imagine Almería to be, and in winter the peaks hold snow.
The ride is one to savour. The roads from Vélez-Blanco and Vélez-Rubio climb through the pines in long, easy bends, with the plains of Granada and Murcia stretching away in the distance. The surface is mostly good, and the traffic is light. Wind can be strong on the exposed ridges, so hold the bars firmly. Spring and autumn are the best times, as the summer sun is intense and winter brings snow and ice.
Vélez-Blanco has a Renaissance castle on a crag, and Vélez-Rubio, seven thousand people and twenty-two kilometres away, has a grand Baroque church and the best range of services, including fuel. María, with about fifteen hundred people, is nearer and quieter. Local food includes roast lamb, game, migas and almond cakes. The shelters are protected, so ask locally before you go, carry water, and be careful with the paintings.