El Pilar: Almond Groves, Mining and Cave Paintings

Landscape and Route

A route through blooming almond groves runs through the Valle de El Pilar. Visiting an iron ore mine is part of this route through the Valle de El Pilar. Traditional architecture and ethnography are further elements of the route. The route passes stone threshing floors, known as eras, as well as distinctive agricultural farmsteads.

Olives and almonds are important crops in the area around El Pilar. In February, the almond trees in the surrounding area bear cream-white and pink blossoms. Agricultural use is therefore evident both in the crops and in the farmsteads and threshing floors along the route.

Culture and History

Stone threshing floors, known in Spanish as “Eras”, bear witness to the former grain farming around El Pilar. Some eras bear the years 1862, 1899 and 1909 carved into them.

To the north of El Pilar stand two stone ore-loading hoppers. They are the remains of facilities through which iron ore was loaded onto waiting wagons and trailers. Mount Atalaya rises above El Pilar; iron ore mines were located on its slopes. The loading hoppers and the former mines on the slopes of Atalaya are therefore among the surviving traces of iron ore mining in the surrounding area.

The church of El Pilar houses an image of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners. The cave paintings of La Mela can be visited near El Pilar; they are protected by a tall metal fence. The cave paintings of La Mela are considered to have been created between the Neolithic and the Copper Age, that is, approximately 6,000 to 3,000 years ago.

Drovers’ Route and Walks

The classified livestock route V.P. 2 begins at the boundary between Sorbas and Lubrín. It follows the road from Uleila to Lubrín for approximately 300 metres and then reaches the vicinity of El Pilar. V.P. 2 then runs north, partly through agriculturally used plots and partly along a path.

From El Pilar, walks through the almond groves can be taken under the guidance of a local expert. El Pilar is the starting point for these walks; the aforementioned V.P. 2 route, by contrast, initially follows the boundary between Sorbas and Lubrín and then continues north.

Location and Surroundings

El Pilar lies directly on the boundary between the two nearest towns, Sorbas and Lubrín. Winding country roads with virtually no traffic run through the area around El Pilar. The area around El Pilar is rural and peaceful. The settlement’s location is defined by the boundary with Sorbas and Lubrín, as well as by the rural surroundings with their winding country roads.

Other Places

Other directly associated places:

Llano de Los Olleres, Vélez-Blanco, Lucainena De Las Torres, Guazamara, El Campillo De Rodalquilar, La Breña, Lubrín, Huércal de Almería

Municipality

The 2026 budget of the municipality of Sorbas allocates €400.00 for the festivities of the Barriada El Pilar. The budget allocation expressly refers to the festivities of the Barriada El Pilar and is specified for the year 2026.

To the main travel overview: Almeria.