Bédar Information

Much of Bedar (at 400M above sea level) and the higher ground above it, in an area called Campico (up to 800 m) is a protected zone, where new development is now prohibited.

Photo B.20 shows how Bedar is positioned to look down on the coastal plain from the shelter of the hills behind, whilst at the same time having good south facing sunlight and views to both the coast, Mojacar Village and the Cabrera hills to the south east. The village is a starting point for hill trekking and the Local authorities organise regular guiding walking tours, especially to see the old abandoned mining areas, and also to hope to spot protected fauna like miniature hill tortoises.

This local touristic resource is supplemented by several golf courses within 30/45 minutes drive and a large selection of beaches within a 15/25K distance with roughly the same driving time. Photograph No. 21 is a picture of a secluded beach, a little further away, in the National Park reserve of Cabo de Gata.

Equally the five towns/villages in that time and distance range, Vera, Garucha, Mojacar, Turre & Los Gallardos have a myriad of Bars, Restaurants & Discos serving many different cuisines at all prices. No resident or visitor can justifiably say ‘I am so bored, as there is nowhere to go’.

At a greater distance from the Cortijo, many visitors take their families to ‘Mini Hollywood’—about an hour’s drive—where numerous Western/Mexican films were made 30/40 years ago, in a semi desert setting after Italy’s Spaghetti Western venues became too expensive for the Hollywood moguls to stomach. It was also used to film some desert scenes in one of the versions of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

This location now provides a popular set of children’s entertainments, cowboy style horse riding, bow and arrow shooting, plus various theme restaurants, reflecting the cuisine of the abandoned film sets.

The more culturally inclined can make an excursion to visit the ‘Indalo’ cave paintings at Cueva de los Leteros in the Sierra Maria nature park and botanical garden—just over an hour’s drive away, and eat well in Velez Rubio or Velez Blanco, the two closest villages to the location of the ancient rock pictures. The Indalo symbol has been adopted as the Iconic symbol of Almeria and has been much reproduced, in every imaginable product, sold by the local Tourist Industry.

However, many people, especially when on holiday, prefer not to travel to eat/drink far from where they sleep, and for them, Bedar village offers a good selection of traditional Restaurants and Bars; Cortijo Calerica is well located for such visits, at about ten minutes easy walk, and this can be especially convenient, when it may not be prudent to drive back. In addition, and crucially for the cohesion and harmony of the community, the resources of the village also include, a traditional general store, a Bank + ATM, a medical centre, a pharmacy, a hairdresser and an artisanal bakery.

Bedar is a community that has experienced several cycles of good and bad times, since most of the mines failed to reopen after the Spanish Civil war. Its people have come to terms with servicing foreign tourists and residents, as a complement to their traditional agricultural activities, and the boom/bust features of working in construction. They are welcoming to newcomers—especially those who are prepared to communicate in Spanish—but are not dominated by them, as has become the case in many coastal areas of Southern Spain.

The village itself reflects an eclectic character mix; photo B.17 emphasises Catholic tradition, in classically styled village church; photo B.18 proudly reflects mining heritage with the sculpture in the entry square gazing down onto the abandoned mining area. In contrast, photo B.19 highlights the work of a local artist reviving a decorative tradition in pottery tile mosaic set onto the wall of the Town Hall square.

To place Bedars geographical position situation into perspective, photo B.20 shows the view from above the Cortijo to Mojacar and the sea, with the Cabrera hills to the right. It is far enough from the coast to be tranquil, but not so far as to become remote.