Tózar: Archaeology and Landscape

In Tózar, archaeological remains meet a landscape of gorges, a river, and walking trails. The Conjunto Arqueológico de Tózar is located right by the town center and is integrated into the Ruta del Gollizno walking trail. This gives you two distinct focuses to consider when planning your trip: the historic traces in the town and the landscape along the route.

Archaeological traces from different periods

The Conjunto Arqueológico includes a medieval Mozarabic necropolis, silos dating from the 9th century, and the megalithic Pileta de la Zorra dolmen. The necropolis contains 80 positively identified graves carved into the rock. Their shapes are anthropomorphic, trough-shaped, or rectangular. “Anthropomorphic” describes a shape modeled on the human form; the other two terms also describe the shape of the graves directly. The necropolis therefore offers not only a number but also different forms as concrete points of reference for visitors.

The chronology adds further depth to the ensemble: the necropolis is dated to the Middle Ages, the silos date from the 9th century, and the Pileta de la Zorra is a megalithic dolmen. These three elements offer distinct historical perspectives without needing to be grouped into a single period. Visitors interested in Tózar’s archaeological heritage can appreciate the grave shapes, silos, and dolmen as different components of the ensemble.

The ensemble also includes a defense system with trenches from the Spanish Civil War. As a result, the archaeological heritage encompasses not only graves and older structures but also traces of more recent military history. The trenches add a different historical context to Tózar than the necropolis or the silos.

Views, gorge, and trails

From the Mirador de Tózar, you can see the Tajos de la Hoz and the Barranco de Tózar. The Río Velillos flows along the bottom of the gorge. The viewpoint thus looks out over named landforms and the river running below. This perspective differs from the features described along the Ruta del Gollizno.

The stretch of the Río Velillos along the Ruta del Gollizno combines riverside vegetation, gorges, footbridges, suspension bridges, and walking paths. Here, the landscape is shaped not only by the river and vegetation but also by features of the trail. The viewpoint and the stretch of river offer different ways to experience the surroundings: from the Mirador, the view takes in the Tajos and the Barranco, while the trail description focuses on the riverbank, gorges, and crossings.

There are also specific points of reference for exploring on foot: the Torre de la Porqueriza can be reached from the Parque Arqueológico de Tózar. One route starts in the town of Tózar. This is separate from the archaeological ensemble’s connection to the Ruta del Gollizno. The route’s starting point, the walk to the Torre, and the ensemble’s connection to the walking trail can therefore each be considered separately when planning.

Considering Tózar as a destination

If you are considering a hotel stay in Tózar, you can first choose a focus based on your interests: archaeological remains, views of the Tajos de la Hoz and the Barranco de Tózar, or the river and gorge landscape along the Río Velillos. This distinction makes trip planning more specific without conflating the different locations and trail connections. Tózar thus combines a clear archaeological character with several named landscape features and walking trails.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Alquife, El Ventorrillo, Cástaras, Pinos Genil, Las Gabias, Orgiva, Albuñol, Yátor

For the main travel overview: Granada.