Daytrip to Gorafe from Roquetas de Mar, Almeria
PEPE TOURS
Daytrip to Gorafe from Roquetas de Mar, Almeria
PEPE TOURS
Excursion and visit of Gorafe and the Megalithic Park, from Roquetas de Mar
Daytrip to visit Gorafe from Roquetas de Mar. A beautiful excursion straight through the “bad-lands” of the Valley of Guadix up to Gorafe. We visit the Interpretive Center of the Megalithic Period which takes us back 5000 years in time to the Neolithicum, in order to understand the life and customs of the ancient inhabitants of the region. In the afternoon we start the trip back along the village of Alicun de las Torres where we discover the Thermal Baths of Alicun, a true oasis in the middle of a dry and savage countryside.
Departure at the indicated time from Roquetas de Mar with destination Gorafe. We drive through the Desert of Tabernas, through the moon landscape of the Hoya de Guadix (the so-called “bad-lands”) after which we arrive at the river Rio Gor, which has carved an impressive valley in the soft rocks. After a little stop on a viewpoint we will drive into the valley where we discover a small village with troglodyte houses, called Gorafe. In the Visitor Center of Gorafe (the Interpretation Center of the Megalithic Period) we travel back in time to the Copper Period, to learn the life, the culture and the traditions of the prehistoric settlement that existed here some 5000 years ago. In the afternoon we return to the hotels, and we will drive along the Health Spa of Alicun de las Torres, a surprising enclave in the middle of a dry landscape. Arrival at Roquetas de Mar and the end of our service.
Departure days:
Please check availability
The excursion to Gorafe includes:
– Transportation by modern coach with air conditioning and reclining seats
– Accompanying guide service
– Visit to the Interpretation Center of Megalithism
– Travelers insurance
Prices:
PRICE PER PERSON IN EUROS (SEASON 2024 - 2025) | |
ADULT | from 72 € |
CHILD (3 – 11 years) | from 20 € |
Gorafe and its megalithic park - a journey to the Neolithic ...
The Stream of Gor is a natural valley situated in a geographical corridor which was intensively used during the Prehistoric Period, a border between groups of tribes in the east and in the south of Andalusia. The Neolithic settlements which formed here at the beginning of the 5th millennium b.C. had a complex hierarchical society, and an economy based on agriculture and cattle breeding. People lived in houses dug in to the slopes of the mountains or in stone constructions covered with leaves. The dead were buried in very typical constructions: the dolmens. Nowadays there are more then 240, which makes Gorafe the village with the largest concentration of these tumulus on the whole Iberian Peninsula, and even in a large part of Europe.
This little village is characterised by an abrupt landscape. The terrain is flanked by the valley of the river Gor and for centuries the erosion has marked off a ravine with a multitude of gullies and clefts. The nature embraces the visitor with large stone walls and the landscape speaks for itself. Far away from the haste and stress of the big cities it looks like the first civilisations decided to leave their heritage right here; more than 240 dolmens which have time stand still in order to make an imaginary voyage in to the past.
In the streets of this village one breathes the peace that is characteristic for the majority of the villages in the northern region of the province. The inhabitants walk through the streets of the village, an aging population which exists due to a family-based agriculture, seasonal immigration and rural tourism. Although the village dates back to the 16th century, the church has a modern appearance as several renovation works were done to improve the preservation. The church of Mary Annunciation is the most representative monument.
The Interpretation Center of the Megalithic Period sits in a subterranean building of 600 square meters that imitates the structure and the distribution of the rooms of a dolmen. There are explanatory texts regarding this prehistoric cultural phenomenon and the chronological and social context. The recently inaugurated audio-visual projection in 3D is very interesting as it takes the visitor 5000 years back in time to know the old river Gor. One enters this dolmen museum through a ramp after which one enters a vaulted space, just like in the old tombs. It is the largest Interpretation Center of the region of Guadix and of the province of Granada.
The Health Spa of Alicun is situated close to the convergence of the rivers Fardes and Gor, a true oasis in the middle of an arid and savage environment. The archeologic rests nearby contribute something extra to the stay. The leisure complex with natural swimming pools is a true pleasure. Daily about 100 litres of water per second well out of different springs near the Baños de Alicun, which flow through different streams into irrigation canals such as the Acueducto del Toril. This Acueducto del Toril is a strange, natural formation which exists due to the intervention of man. This limestone formation is considered to be unique in the world. It is a wall of limestone, formed through the ages by rainfall and depositions of mineral salts that flow through this aqueduct. What used to be a normal irrigation canal on ground level, probably to take the water to the Palaeolithic village, nowadays has heights of more than 15 meters for a length of around a kilometre on some part of its path.
Please note that
* Pepe Tours reserves the right to change the itinerary and the order of the excursions for organizational reasons.