LOS BARRIOS

Los Barrios has a relatively short history. It was founded after the loss of Gibraltar in 1704. Prior to that date the only traces of human history are the Bacinete cave paintings, the Botafuego watchtower on Monte de la Torre and the Entre Rios watchtower on Palmones, and the old shrine of San Isidro around which the exiles from Gibraltar settled and established Los Barrios.

PLACES OF INTEREST:

• Montelatorre Tower. This has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
• The Ringo-Rango Site. This site contains Roman remains. Pottery workshops have been found here and this, combined with the remains of kilns and pieces of ceramic that have been recovered, suggest that there was a stable settlement here for some considerable time. From the Romans we have inherited the Ringo-Rango site in the Villa del Puente Grande, the Roman road on Monte de la Torre, the Venta del Carmen and the Vado de los Pinares Bridge.
• Charco Redondo Dam. Some eighteen kilometres from the town centre, on the road to Jerez, this dam has been responsible for creating an elegant 85 hm3 artificial lake, surrounded by the majestic hills of the Parque del Los Arconoques, Spain’s largest Nature Reserve. The Charco Redondo Recreational Area is located on its shore. Its large open areas (much of them shaded) and multiple attractions on offer allow the visitor to fully enjoy this magnificent natural setting.
• La Montera del Torero. This curious rock stands next to the road between Jerez and Los Barrios, at km. 88. Erosion has worn away and hollowed out the rock, fashioning it into the shape of a bullfighter’s cap, after which it is named.
• Arroyo del Tiradero. It is accessed from the Los Barrios- Facinas road. The walk leads you through interesting and dense vegetation – ferns, oak and alder trees, etc. It is a landscape more typical of Atlantic Spain than of the dry, warm Mediterranean Spain where it is actually located, hence its enormous appeal. It is one of the best conserved and purest forests in Los Alcornocales.
• Bacinete Caves. These contain some of the most interesting examples of schematic cave paintings in Andalucia. This site, too, is close to the Los Barrios-Facinas road. Blocks of stone and remains of rock paintings lead us through the vegetation to the necropolis. The tombs, which have been excavated out of sandstone and are open to the air, are impressive and link us our ancestral culture of death. This has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
• Parque de los Alcornocales. This Natural Park has been listed as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) and a Special Protected Area for Birds (SPA).