Velez Rubio

Velez Rubio | Velez Blanco | Maria | Chirivel

The capital of the Los Velez area, Velez Rubio, is the biggest and most important urban centre of the Comarca, with around 7185 inhabitants. The municipal area covers approximately 282km2 and includes 35 hamlets and villages. The town's industry is split between 4 main areas: 48% agriculture, 37% public services, 10% construction and 5% industry. The main agricultural products are cereals, olives, almonds, fruit trees & vegetables and the most important animal farming is of sheep, goats and pigs. Velez Rubio is situated at around 800m above sea level, making it the lowest of the four towns.

The town was established between the end of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th century, when the Arabs were defeated. The new Moorish and Christian population lived on what we now know as the "Fatin" neighbourhood (from Puertas de Granada until the Puertas de San Nicolas), made up of narrow streets surrounded by water and fertile land. Later this urbanization expanded to include the church and town hall. However it wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries that the biggest expansion took place, with wide, long roads and larger buildings.

In 1986, Velez Rubio was declared an area of historical interest and is now protected as such.

Most of the public services are found in Velez Rubio (the courts, high school, boarding school, Social security office, Property Registry, etc.). It is also the commercial centre for the Los Velez area and with the newly-built industrial estate the town is also the centre of most industrial activities. In the town there are many historical and artistic buildings, some of which are open to the public.