This is the chronicle of a magical, space-like trip right to the heart of Granada
We went with the intention of subjecting ourselves to an experience in unorthodox accommodation, a type of unprecedented sensory experiment that would connect us with the hostile environment of Granada’s Gorafe Desert. Gorafe is the first municipality in Andalusia to obtain the Star Park certification (and the fifth in all of Spain), thanks to the excellent quality of observation of its night sky.
But to do this, we needed to get to La Casa del Desierto. The short version is we arrived, we slept, we didn’t sleep, we listened, we didn’t listen, we stared at the night sky, and we were amazed! An experiment well worth repeating! Now it’s our turn to tell you all about it.
Whenever we go on a trip, we’re usually looking to learn more about a destination, either because we’re interested in its culture, history or nature, and the easiest way to do this is to follow in the footsteps of other tourists, which basically means a classic tour of the interesting spots like museums, monuments, and specific historical and natural sites.
However, the truth is there are almost as many ways of getting to know a destination as we can imagine, and this is where the original trip, the search for experiences and the intention to look at the world from within come from.
The story begins in a suite in the desert
Just over an hour from the city of Granada and less than 45 minutes from Baza and Guadix, we find one of Spain’s best-kept secrets, the visually stunning Gorafe Desert.
Canyons, ravines, chimneys, cave houses, red clay and one of the best places in Spain to see the night sky without any light pollution.
If we add a 20 square metre installation entirely made of glass with a bed on the floor, mirrored panels on the ceiling and a bathtub with views of the vast lunar landscape as a place to stay. At the very moment we arrived at the Desert House intimacy became an illusion, a state of mind and our imagination escaped far beyond Andromeda and the Milky Way with only the Sierra de Baza mountain range as a silent witness.
The people responsible for the appearance of this unusual glass suite in the middle of the nowhere are Guardian Glass, one of the leading manufacturers of glass for indoor and outdoor architectural applications in the world. This project was primarily to demonstrate the efficiency of the glass in conditions of thermal contrast on a practical level. Guardian Glass wanted to test its products to their limits and show how through correct glass selection, we could inhabit one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet.
Just like any spaceship, The Desert House has its operating instructions. This is what Manuel is there for, an expert in the area and the contact person who hands over the keys. He shows guests how to turn on and off the alarm, which uses laser light to detect movements around the perimeter, open the sliding doors and double checks everything before leaving us to our own devices.
The colours of the sunset started to melt into the earth and then came darkness to give us an unbelievable observation point to the sky. A vast open space, stars, a glass structure and us.
Discovering Gorafe and its surroundings
Gorafe is a picturesque village in Granada hidden between gorges and caves. The relaxed attitude of this municipality, with only a handful of shops and spectacular views of the area, is felt the moment you arrive.
The small town has the highest concentration of prehistoric burial chambers in all of Spain, with 240 Neolithic dolmens spread over 10 funerary areas. The reason for this abundance of dolmens is the Gor stream, a natural depression located in a geographical corridor that was very active during prehistoric times.
This almost secret, natural corner of Spain is just a few kilometres from the centre of Gorafe. The impressive landscape is divided into two large areas. The first is known as the Badlands with canyons, ravines and fairy chimneys resembling the most beautiful parts of Cappadocia in Turkey. The other, Los Coloraos, is a little further from Gorafe and home to immense red clay canyons similar to the Grand Canyon in Colorado. An amazing landscape worth visiting and venturing out on route, be it on foot, by bike, of 4×4!
Other plans in the area
And if you’re feeling tired, you have Alicún de las Torres Spa close to Gorafe with thermal pools, a spa, massages and other treatments. The Toril Aqueduct is just across the road from the spa is a great place for a walk. This natural structure is unique in Europe, standing at a height of 15 metres.
Another interesting spot to visit in the area is Guadix with its famous cave dwellings. Despite being a relatively small city, it boasts an incredible history and heritage. It’s also home to one of the most original cathedrals in all of Andalusia.
You can also visit the Roman Theatre Guadix Acci, which was accidentally discovered in 2008 and is one of the most interesting “new” tourist attractions in the city.
And of course, you can’t afford to pass up on the chance to stroll through the Barrio de Cuevas, one of the largest cave neighbourhoods in the world with some 2000 cave houses currently used as a first residence. The Guadix Caves Interpretation Centre is a great place to learn about cave life, the history of the cave houses and how the people lived and live in them, so make sure to find some time to visit it
We also recommend taking the time to stroll around the city’s layout of irregular streets, heading up to Mirador Padre Poveda and entering some of the tourist caves to see how people lived in the past (not all the caves are open to visitors!). You can also visit the Virgen de las Cuevas Hermitage in the centre of the neighbourhood, which not surprisingly is also a cave.
Other places of interest to visit in this unique city are the Villalegre Place, Palomas Square, the train station, the Church of Magdalena, Alcazaba, the Door of Saint Torcuato and the Church of Santiago.
In the opposite
direction, you have Baza,
a village, flanked by the Sierra de Baza Natural Park, with interesting things
to see like the Archaeological Museum
with its replica of the Lady of Baza, the Plaza Mayor monumental complex and
the famous Caños Dorados.
