Los Velez & Beyond Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is a multicache so the above coordinates show the start point(location 1)not the actual cache.As with my other caches panoramic views abound.
This offset cache takes you on a tour of The Los Vélez area of Almeria taking in the towns of Vélez Rubio and Vélez Blanco and finally leaving Almeria and crossing the border into Murcia to the Castillo Xiquena near to which the cache is hidden. It will probably take around two hours and that’s without exploring the locations, but why not spend a full day and take the time to explore as many of the interesting places as possible.
To establish the coordinates of the cache you will need to visit the 5 locations listed below., but first a little background on the area.
Vélez Rubio
The small agricultural town of Vélez Rubio is in a picturesque setting, surrounded by sierras, olive groves and fields of wheat and almonds The tourist office is located in the local museum on Calle Carrera del Carmen 29 and open from Monday-Friday 10am-2pm & 5-8pm, tel 950 41 01 48.
The museum is situated within a beautiful 18th century hospital 'Hospital Real' and has a fascinating exhibit of artifacts and ceramics dating from prehistoric to Moorish times, including a section on the ancient cave paintings in this area.
However, the main monument of note in the town is the magnificent Baroque Church of La Encarnación which can be found on the plaza of the same name. Built in the 18th century, this has an imposing carved facade which includes the arms of the Marquises of Villafranca y Vélez, who built it. Inside, the main altar has a superbly detailed, 20-metre-high carved wood retablo.
3 km north of the town are the UNESCO World Heritage listed pre-historic caves and paintings called Cueva de Los Letreros (Leters Cave) and La Cueva del Gabar, to the north of Vélez Blanco.
Vélez Blanco
6 km north of Vélez Rubio, nestling at the foot of a rocky outcrop, is the small whitewashed village of Vélez Blanco,
On top of the hill is a stunning Renaissance castle an extension of the original Moorish alcazaba, which was built by the Marquises of Vélez Blanco in the early 16th century. These days, it is something of a trompe l'oeil, with an empty shell behind the battlements. This gutting took place in 1904, after the castle was sold to an American millionaire, George Bluementhal, who proceeded to tear out the interior including the Patio de Honor - a fabulous courtyard carved in white marble by Italian craftsmen. The lot was then unceremoniously shipped off to the USA where it has since been reconstructed inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The castle's interior only has fragments of the original decoration and, given the Met's reluctance to return its dubiously acquired prize exhibit, there are now plans to carry out a complete reconstruction of the original using marble from the nearby quarries of Macael.
Also worth seeing is the 16th century Convento de San Luís, located at the opposite end of town and also built by the Vélez family, although its fine chapel was damaged during the Civil War. The Almacen del Trigo information office has information on the town and the surrounding Parque Natural de la Sierra de María.
CLUE LOCATION 1 Velez Rubio
N 37º 38.854 W 002º04.447
To the left of the main entrance to this magnificent twin towered building is a date
abXX-XXXX
CLUE LOCATION 2 Velez Blanco
N 37º 4a.468 W 002º05.b55
Take a look around this place of worship and as you leave the main front entrance look across the road to the right where there is another important building with a plaque high above the entrance bearing the name of the building together with a date.
Ano cdXX
CLUE LOCATION 3 Velez Blanco
N 37º 4c.584 W 002º05.d53
Here’s a chance to cool off at this 24/7 watering hole.
How many leaves are there on the central coat of arms? Answer = ef
And the date below? Answer = ghjk
And the most you can take away? Answer = mn
CLUE LOCATION 4 Velez Blanco
N 37º 4f.jk1 W 002º0n.hgm
If you’re lucky the Castillo will be open but it doesn’t need to be in order to find the next clue and the views over Blanco and beyond are magnificent.
Well just how many locks can you see at this point? Answer = p
LOCATION 5 adjacent CASTILLO XIQUENA (A place to park your car)
N 37º 41.394 W 001º59.056
There’s room here to park a car whilst you hunt down the cache which is outside the confines of this ancient ruin. Once you have found it then please take care to replace it exactly as you found it. Take a little time to go up to the top of the castle and take in the splendid views. Sit down and close your eyes and enjoy the sheer tranquility of this location and imagine how different it must have been in days gone by. This enclave was built by the Christians in the 14th century.
LOCATION 6 THE CACHE “ LOS VELEZ & BEYOND”
N 37º 41.p44 W 001º5(px3).1p5
The cache contains
Log Book and pencil
Shrek sweet dispenser (empty)
Minnie Mouse tb
Postage stamps
A penny
A toy car
I hope you enjoy the tour and locate my cache. Thanks to lordelph (He's not a real Lord you know!) for his help with this my first multi cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx sbe gur ovt ebpx ng nobhg 7 b'pybpx sebz gur EU Gbjre