Taberno

TABERNO

Taberno is situated at the foot of the El Madroño mountain range, in the north east of the Almeria province. It has around 1,000 inhabitants, of whom three quarters live in the village itself; the rest reside in its six outlying hamlets, the largest being Santopétar.

HISTORY

The independence of Taberno from Vélez-Rubio took place in 1839. There was a previous attempt at segregation, with the Constitution of 1812, on the conditions that the municipal autonomy had more than 100,000 inhabitants, as well as enough territory and distance from the neighbouring villages. Taberno fulfilled those conditions, however, the Constitution was repealed, meaning that the village again depended on Vélez-Rubio until the Constitution of 1837.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scarce economic resources and consequent emigration reduced the local population by more than a half. A series of improvements are currently taking place in agriculture, especially in the drilling of new aquifers, which will provide better development. In terms of livestock, the “La Pastora” cooling center has enabled the sale and commercialization of goat’s milk.

THINGS TO SEE

Iglesia Parroquial de San José
The church dates to the mid-eighteenth century. It has its own archive and books from 1769, which attest to its having functioned as a subsidiary church of Vélez-Rubio. It was not until June 1, 1900 that it became its own parish. The territorial scope that the Bishopric of Almeria assigned to it when the parish of Taberno was constituted did not coincide exactly with the municipal term, like that of the district of Santopétar that belonged to the parish of Santa María de Nieva. Located on Calle Ramon y Cajal.

Museo Etnográfico
The ethnographic museum, also known as Museo del Campo, opened in 1998 and contains over 2,000 old farming tools, utensils, machinery and objects relating to the history and culture of this farming village. Located on Calle Cordoba.

Opening Times:
Monday-Friday, 09.00-13.00hrs and 18.00-21.00hrs.
Price: Free entry
Tel: 638 954 037 for walking guided visits of the village and also 4x4 vehicle routes in the area.

Ermita del Calvario
Located at a natural viewing point, at the highest part of the village, this chapel was built between 1846 and 1897, and plays an important role in the Good Friday processions. Located on Calle Calvario.

Iglesia de los Llanos
The church is devoted to the Virgen del Carmen, and stands out for its idiosyncratic Virgen del Carmen procession, which does not follow a particular route or schedule, but is instead determined by bids, like an audition. During the annual procession, members of the Brotherhood, who change every year, take a puja (bet) of who will take the Virgin out of the church, which streets she will pass through, and who will return her to the church. Along the way, if a member of the public wants the Virgin to stop at their front door for a prayer, they must make a bid for this. The money raised during the procession goes towards repairs and icon restorations within the church.

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE

Jardin Botanico de Taberno
This small botanical garden contains a few hundred trees, plants, and shrubs. It specializes in flora from the Almanzora Valley, including flowering cacti, succulent plants, lavender and various other herbs. Most plants are labelled and some even have signs in braille. The garden has a picnic area shaded by pine trees, with toilets. Entry is free. Located east of Taberno.

Mirador las Morras
From Las Morras viewpoint, visitors can see over the entire Almanzora basin, as far as the beaches at Garrucha, as well as the town of Huércal-Overa. Next to the Mirador is a wooded recreation and picnic area. Located north of Taberno.

Glacis Viewpoint
In geomorphology, a “glasis” is the smooth, gently sloping ground between a mountain and a plain. This viewpoint near Taberno is a textbook example, and the largest in Europe, with geologists from all over the world coming here to study it.

WHAT TO DO

Off-road route
A mapped 60km circular 4x4 route has three options of difficulty level. It is closed in the summer from 1 June to 15 October, due to the high risk of forest fire. Permission to drive the route must be obtained from the Town Hall in advance on 950 123 040/626 745 262, or alternatively ask at the Ethnographic Museum. Download the route book here, and gpx waypoints.

Visit a goat farm
Be a goat farmer for the day at the Cooperativa Andaluza “La Pastora de Taberno” . A guided tour will pick you up in the village and take you to the farm, where you can see the goats, tour the facilities, and take part in a cheese making workshop. The cooperative also has a small shop. Ask at the Ethnographic Museum or phone 638 954 037/626 745 262.

ACCOMMODATION

Since Taberno is a small village, it has no hotels, however, Pension Taberno, conveniently located at the entrance (when arriving from the coast) of the village, near the Ethnographic Museum, offers small apartments, each with a kitchen and balcony. There are also a number of rental cottages, villas and rural houses in the surrounding countryside.

COUNTRYSIDE WALKS

Sendero El Picacho (PR-A 117)
Distance: 10km
Difficulty: Low-Medium
Duration: approx. 3 hours

Ruta de El Carbonero
Distance: 11km
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

Sendero Cerro Alto (PR-A-325)
Distance: 12.69km
Difficulty: Medium-High
Duration: approx. 4 hours 30 minutes

HANDICRAFTS

Products made from straw are the main handicraft produced in the town, along with wool products, which are primarily sold in the ferias of neighbouring towns.

GASTRONOMY

The local gastronomic speciality of Taberno is the torta de chicharrones (pork crackling cake) and migas (fried breadcrumbs with pork). The favourite sweet treat are the roscos de anís (aniseed doughnuts) which are well worth a try.

FESTIVALS

Popular festivals in Taberno are San José, Santa Lucía and Baile de las Ánimas. More>

NEARBY PLACES

The neighbouring villages to Taberno are Albox, Huércal-Overa and Vélez-Rubio.