The cave is in an ideal situation to explore the surrounding reservoirs and national parks - Sierra de Baza, Sierra de Castril, Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra de Huetor and Sierra de Maria (more about the sierras)

There are 4 reservoirs nearby, all within 40 minutes drive, these are suitable for swimming, fishing (especially trout), canoeing and various other water sports.

In the surrounding mountains you can go trekking, climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, bungee jumping, vertical wall climbing, paragliding and handgliding (a little more information here)

There are countless tracks to be discovered with off road vehicles through the vast and contrasting landscapes. There are local clubs and associations which can provide arranged activities if required. For nature lovers there are charming walks through the valley of Guadalentin and in the surrounding areas of the Cazorla National Park, Segura and Las Villas. There are also thickly forested mountains that are protected by National Park status, you will find these well signposted with walking routes, camping and pick-nick facilities. The area also offers some of the largest tracts of unbroken wilderness in Europe.

Castril gorge walk

At the bottom of this beautiful white washed town is the Castril river which winds on through a magnificent gorge, which you can walk through, with two routes offered (a short walk and a long walk!). See more pictures of Castril here.

Lake Negratin's Hot mineral baths at Zújar

The extinct volcano of Jabalcon provides the geothermal heat for the hot mineral baths which are reputed to relieve symptoms such as rheumatism, arthritis, neuritis, asthma, allergies, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, dermatological afflictions and stress. The restaurant is also reputed to be excellent.

Natural swimming pools

Orce: A spring water swimming pool, free to get in, spring water comes up through the ground to supply water into this pool, which also has fish in it, an unusual experience! There is also a bar next to the pool
Huescar Also a natural swimming pool, larger than the one in Orce and next to a restaurant/bar
There are also normal swimming pools available at Castillejar, Castril, Cullar...

Municipal pools

There is an excellent municipal pool just 7kms from the cave in Cortes de Baza. Castril also has a new municipal pool set in the valley.

Reservoirs

You can also swim at various places in Negratin reservoir and San Clemente reservoir (Huescar)

Food & drink

And lets not forget the important part of being here- eating and drinking! In Andalucia whenever you buy a drink in a bar you will be given free tapas, the idea being to sustain your sobriety for longer so that you can drink more! These small plates of food could be anything from fresh prawns, cabbage and bacon to bread with Iberican ham.

In the town of huescar (approx 30 minutes drive) you can find an enchanting cave bar - Cueva Alcadima (although you may find the opening hours a mystery...!). Inside there are many rooms to explore and hide away in, the Morrocan influence gives it it's warmth and character.

Sports - Castilléjar Motorcross

This takes place annually during Castilléjar's fiesta in October.
There is a scrambling circuit here, and additional areas such as dried riverbeds are used for tracks.

Wild west towns & Mini Hollywood

In Almeria you will find the dusty Tabernas desert, made up of canyons and rocky outcrops, and situated in this desert are three wild west towns - film sets which have been used for famous spaghetti westerns such as 'A Fistful of Dollars', 'For a Few Dollars More', 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and The Magnificent Seven to mention just a few. Some of these towns are now theme parks (hosting Wild West shows, stagecoach rides and saloon bars to drink in) - Mini hollywood (which also has a zoo) and Texas Hollywood

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Sierras

Each Sierra is different in character and all can be reached within about 45 minutes' drive. The Sierra de Baza has wide open spaces with glittering black rocks and in the park you can see many birds of prey. In the woods there are hiking routes marked out. Baza council has some information about the park and a few suggested walks on their website (in Spanish). The Sierra de Castril has spectacular gorges (and also has the vertical wall, paragliding & bungee jumping mentioned above), Sierra de Cazorla has soaring limestone cliffs, wild ibex and an ancient high altitude pine forest. About 2 hours drive takes you to the Sierra Nevada, snow covered between October and May, and rising to 3400m. It has a long skiing season and fantastic views as far as Morocco!

Markets

Markets take place every day in different towns, here you can get everything you expect from a market: food, clothes, plants and more! Here are some of the local markets (usual hours would be 09.00 - 13.00):

Cortes de Baza : Saturday
Benaumarel: Sunday
Baza: Wednesday (at the top of town)

Museums

There are many museums in the area due to the rich history of the area, Baza is the nearest:

Museo Arquelogico de Baza.
Plaza Mayor, Baza
Telephone: 958.861.325 (also the tourist office)
Open Mon-Fri 10.00 -14.00 and 18.00 - 20.00
Winter only
Website

There is also one at Orce:
Museo Palenteologico de Orce.
Castillo de las Siete Torres
Open every day
Summer 11.00 - 14.00 18.00 - 20.00
Winter 11.00 - 14.00 16.00 - 20.00

And one at Galera:
Museo Arquelogico de Galera
C/ San Marcos,9 Galera
Telephone: 958.739.276
Open Tue-Sun
Summer 11.00 - 13.00 19.00 - 21.00
Winter 11.00 - 13.00 17.00 - 19.00

Archaeology

There are many archaeological sites of interest in the area Orce with its museum set within the castle and also Galera with a prehistoric site of the Iberian Necropolis of Tútugi.

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Other activities in the area:

Club Náutico "Negratín", near Cuevas del Campo and Freila. Here you can rent canoes, pedalboats and windsurfboards. In summer you can take canoe and surfing lessons. Tel: 666 086 039.

How about a hot air balloon ride over Guadix or Granada!

Horse riding in Castril

Cueva del agua (site in Spanish): In Quesada you can visit a natural cave that is filled with water (apparently dry in the summer!).

Fishing at the trout farm in Pozo Alcón (site in Spanish)

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