There is a little figure on a postcard from Almería that you will see on car stickers, jewellery and shop signs across the province, and it started here. The Indalo, a stick-like man holding an arch above his head, is the symbol of Almería, and it comes from a painting in the Cueva de los Letreros near Vélez-Blanco. The painted figure, called the Brujo or Sorcerer, was found in the early twentieth century, and local people adopted the shape as a good-luck charm and a mark of local pride.
The cave is more of an overhang than a cavern, set in the limestone cliffs of the Sierra de María-Los Vélez natural park, with a view over a broad valley of almonds and cereals. The paintings are in red, and some are in a faded white, and they show human figures, animals and signs, in a mixture of Levantine and schematic styles. They are part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin group, listed by UNESCO in 1998. A fence protects the cave, and you may have to arrange a visit through the local tourist office.
Vélez-Blanco is a lovely small town of about two thousand people, with a Renaissance castle on a hill above it. It was built in the early sixteenth century for the Marquis of los Vélez, and its inner courtyard is a marvel of carved marble. In the early twentieth century the courtyard was sold and shipped to America, and it now stands in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, a story that still annoys local people. A copy has been installed in the castle in its place.
The riding is excellent. The road from the Murcia side climbs steadily into the sierra, with long open bends, big views and a lot of empty country, where eagles and kestrels patrol the cliffs. The Sierra de María rises to over two thousand metres, so snow is possible in winter, and summer days can be warm even at height. Spring and autumn are perfect.
Vélez-Rubio, four kilometres away, is larger, with seven thousand people, and has fuel, shops and bars. Eat a plate of migas or lamb stew and look out for the local almond sweets.