Attractions and Places To See around Laroya - Top 20

El Alto de Velefique is one of Almería's most notable ascents, known for its long ramps, quiet roads, and a series of well-spaced hairpin turns. The gradients are consistent, often between 4% and 5%, with occasional sections exceeding 10%, making the climb a sustained yet achievable effort. The ascent offers sweeping views of the Sierra de los Filabres and a sense of isolation ideal for focusing on your pedaling. Its layout and landscape are reminiscent of the famous Alpe d’Huez, although it is a less-trafficked and much quieter route.

The shortest beautiful gorge in the world

its a stunner ... form Velefique side is really demanding

The towns of Fines and Olula del Río are an encounter with the culture of marble; figures and pieces of marble with inscriptions and inspiring phrases appear on the old railroad track. In Olula there is the famous giant head of a woman, on the other side of the road, you have to be careful not to pass it by. And nearby is the town of Macael for those interested in visiting the “white gold” quarries of the Almanzora Valley. Purchena is far from the road, it is a town with an Andalusian feel, with narrow streets with whitewashed facades at the foot of the remains of an old Muslim fortress from the Nasrid era. The railway continues to trace the slopes of the valley and cross seasonal boulevards over imposing stone bridges to the Tíjola station, which preserves a train engine from the glorious era of the mining railway and the railway buildings. The station is a bar with food service and a terrace on one of the platforms. In Los Canos there are remains of the old iron ore loading dock. The carts arrived loaded with material by aerial cables from the mining sites and by simple gravity they filled the train cars that were in the tunnels located under the loading dock.

One of the places that most impresses those who take a walk through the Almanzora Valley in the north of Almería, is El Estrecho located in the municipality of Urrácal. This narrow gorge is located on the Salada Rambla at the foot of the El Castillico hill. For decades it has not been possible to pass due to the large amount of vegetation that was on the boulevard. In the past, with the flooding of the riverbed, it was cleaned naturally, but the construction of dams to prevent large avenues and floods has caused, over the years, a large number of oleanders, tamarisks, blackberries and false reeds to appear. They prevented access. Thanks to the cleaning work that has been carried out, today we can enjoy a walk that surprises us with its particular geological formations of great beauty. The passage of water, which will accompany us along the route of this gorge, and the action of the wind, have shaped these spectacular geological formations for years, and its walls reach several meters high. It consists of two separate formations whose length reaches around half a kilometer where our senses will begin to enjoy the spectacle that this environment offers. A natural wonder worth exploring! 🌿🏞️

The old Tíjola train station is now disused, and the train track layout is now part of the Almanzor Valley greenway. You can still see one of the diesel locomotives that passed through this station, now converted into a bar and restaurant.

The complex has interesting artifacts still in place. The station is a restaurant.

It is a pity that this station, which was once one of the most important on the line, has not been maintained and restored. Even so, pedaling through here evokes the importance that the railway once had in the entire area.