The far north of Almería surprises people who think the province is all desert and greenhouses. Up here, around the villages of María and Vélez-Blanco, you are in the Sierra de María-Los Vélez natural park, a range of limestone mountains covered with pine and holm oak, with snow in winter and cool nights even in August. The site recorded on the map simply as Queso sits in the hills south of María, among the cluster of prehistoric shelters for which this corner of Andalusia is known.
The most famous of them is the Cueva de los Letreros near Vélez-Blanco, where among the painted figures is the Indalo, a little stick man holding an arc over his head. It has become the symbol of Almería, painted on houses for luck and stamped on every souvenir in the province. Seeing the real thing, faint and red on the rock, is a quietly moving experience. Visits are arranged locally, so check before setting off.
Vélez-Blanco is dominated by its castle, a Renaissance fortress built in the early sixteenth century by the Fajardo family on a rocky crag above the town. Its marble courtyard was sold in the early twentieth century and ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it has been reassembled. The castle still stands, its shell impressive and the views from its walls superb.
The riding is wonderful. The A-317 from Vélez-Blanco climbs to María and continues west towards Huéscar and the Sierra de Segura, with long sweeps and tighter sections through pine forest and open, high pasture. Surfaces are generally good, traffic is light, and you will meet more sheep than cars. In winter, ice and snow can close the higher sections; in summer, it is a cool refuge from the heat of the coast.
María is a small town at around 1,200 metres with a few bars and shops; for reliable fuel, head to Vélez-Rubio or Vélez-Blanco, or Chirivel on the main road. The area is known for its lamb and for hearty mountain dishes, and you will often find a simple restaurant serving them at lunchtime. Evenings up here are the prize: the limestone turns gold, the air cools fast, and the pines give off a resinous smell that follows you all the way down the hill.