Location

Casa Paco is located in the village of Velez Rubio

Casa Paco is located in the village of Velez Rubio in the southern Spanish province of Andalusia. Casa Paco is located on the edge of the Sierra Maria-Los Velez nature park and is easily accessible via the motorway. You will find us within 7 minutes after you leave the motorway “Autovia de Mediterané”. You can find us at the following coordinates; N 37.658.967 and W 002.05.8128 and we are located on the AL-9104 (1 kilometer outside the village).

Los Velez

Los Velez consists of the villages Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco among others.

Velez Rubio

Velez Rubio is a nice and cozy village with various (tapas) restaurants. The village still does very Spanish and it is only a 15 minute walk from Casa Paco. In the village you will find a nice park with a large children’s playground and there is also a large swimming pool with children’s section. On Saturday there is a large local market here. Furthermore, the prehistoric cave paintings ‘Cuevas or Letreros’ are worth a visit. Tour is fun, cave paintings are protected by Unesco.

Velez Blanco

Velez Blanco is an authentic Spanish village about 10 minutes drive from Casa Paco. From the garden of Casa Paco you can clearly see the village and the castle. During the high season and during the off-season weekends, the castle is also illuminated at night. The castle has an impressive appearance from the outside. The interior of the castle has spread throughout the world over the years, making it appear ‘bald’ from the inside. Wednesday is the market day in Velez Blanco.

Lorca (30 minutes)

Cosy centre

This medium-sized city is about a 30-minute drive from Casa Paco. The city is industrial, but when you walk around the center you see the beautiful historic buildings and cozy squares. If you follow the signs ‘Eroski’ you come to an indoor shopping center.

On the outskirts of Lorca (visible from the motorway) is the castle of Lorca. Outside the high season, shows with birds of prey are also given here. A visit to the castle costs € 10, – p.p.

* In 2011, Lorca was hit by a serious earthquake, which damaged many buildings in the city center.

Alicante (1,5 hour)

Murcia (1 hour)

An hour’s drive from Casa Paco is the city of Murcia.

In Murcia there are a number of attractions including the Cathedral de Murcia. This Baroque Cathedral is one of the highlights of Spanish baroque architecture.

In the old center you will find nice shopping streets and squares with terraces.

Cartagena (1 hour)

Cartagena is a beautiful, medium-sized town on the coast at about 45 minutes drive from Casa Paco.

The Spanish navy has its boats there and the city is rich in historic buildings. The port has a beautiful boulevard and regular cruise ships dock there. You will find a nice combination of shopping, Roman excavations and a beautiful harbor. Before and after or back you can choose to drive the route via the coast, where you encounter small bays and nice Spanish fishing villages.

In Cartagena you will also find the only factory in the world of Liquor43, they provide English guided tours and finally a tasting. Read more at http://www.licor43.com

Absolutely recommended is the Roman amphitheater and the extensive shopping street with beautiful facades.

Even though they do not serve Spanish dishes in this Italian restaurant, it is certainly worthwhile to have lunch or dinner here. Ristoranti Pizzerie La Tagliatella, C / Canon 4, Cartagena

Almeria (1 hour en 15 minutes)

Almería is a 5-minute drive from Casa Paco.

Almería exudes a real Andalusian atmosphere, without being overwhelmed by tourists. Almería is located on a wide bay and was a powerful city a thousand years ago, because from here the Moors ruled over large parts of Andalusia and Murcia. The eye-catcher of Almería is the Moorish fort Alcabaza from the 11th century, which is certainly worth a visit.

The old town is a maze of streets with shops, cafes, bodegas and old wine shops, interrupted by large and small squares, such as the Plaza Vieja, the most beautiful square in Almería.

To stroll, you can go to the ramblas in the newer part of the city. They continue to the port, where in the morning the fishing boats moor. Almería also has a pleasant seaside promenade with sandy beaches at the end.

If you drive from Casa Paco via the coastal road towards Almería, you end up in one of the most desolate places in Spain. The Cabo de Gata-Níjar nature park extends along both sides of a peninsula. Nature in this area of volcanic origin is extremely rugged, but with cliffs, bays, rock formations, dry riverbeds and salt pans.