I rarely need an excuse, to visit the charming town of Maria, the second most northerly outpost of Almeria, Andalusia´s furthest eastern province. The drive from Velez-Blanco to Maria never fails to captivate me. The craggy mountains, the lower reaches of the rolling hills planted with Almond and Olive, the pine forests higher up and almost always accompanied by a clear blue sky, it is uplifting to the soul, no matter what your mood! Maria, is the epicenter of the Sierra Maria Natural Park, and a perfect place to explore the surrounding wilderness.
The countryside is magnificent, and if you like walking, cycling or just mooching around, it is a place to savour. The town itself, has a ´frontier´ feel to it; the highest urban area in the province, it is easy to conjure up the imagine of tumbleweed blowing down the main street. People visit this region to explore the wide-open spaces and infinite horizons, its vastness and emptiness, so mesmerising to those used to the confines of busy northern European towns and cities.
With an elevation of 1200 metres, Maria can be hot in the summer sun but cooler at night and darn right chilly in winter. If you have a yearning for ¨seasons¨, this sparsely populated region of Almeria may be the place for you! It´s possible to wake up to a sprinkle of snow in an early January morning and later the same day, to sit out in the sun in shirt sleeves, enjoying a coffee in one of the numerous bars in the town´s squares.
It’s a pretty town with a typically picturesque church square at its centre. Normally easy to park around the perimeter of the square, the town can be explored on foot as its small and mostly, flat. As you walk the town you will be delighted with what awaits you around every corner, whether the intricate narrow streets with a myriad of historic buildings or views of the mountain ranges beyond.
This region is best suited to those who love the great outdoors. Whether you are a seasoned bird watcher or not, it’s hard not to be awed when looking up to see 50 or more Griffen vultures riding the thermals above you, their distinctive red heads distinguishing them from the golden eagles with which they share the skies above the peaks of the Sierra Maria Natural Park. If you take a hike in the mountains the one thing you almost certainly won´t see, is people! You can walk for hours in complete solitude, in one of Spain´s least populated regions.
As a place to live, Maria, has a lot going for it. A wonderful climate with genuine seasons, superb scenery, flora and fauna of great interest and close to the motorway system which means airports and the coast are just over an hour’s drive away. It has numerous tapas bars and a small expat community. And house prices here are very reasonable! (link to search Maria)