Is in the northeast of the province of Granada. The town has very good transport communications with the main motorway A 92 passing close by and Granada airport 100km away.

History

Baza is a town of around 20000 inhabitants.
The origin of this town dates back to the 4thC BC, where the indiginous people built a settlement 2km outside the present town. It is in this settlement that the famous seated sculpture of an Iberian Goddess 'lady of Baza' was unearthed. Ruled by the moors until the 16th C, it is possible still to see their influence at the Moorish baths and the maze-like layout of the older part of the town.
The Moorish baths can be found next to the old jewish quarter and date from around the 10 C and are possible some of the oldest to be found anywhere in Europe.

Fiestas

The main fiesta in Baza is called the Cascamorras and dates back to the 15 C. It is based on the story of a worker from nearby Guadix finding a stutue of the Virgin Mary on the out skirts of Baza. Both Baza and Guadix claimed the stutue, with the courts giving custody to Baza. However with a proviso that a fiesta would take place in Guadix every year in her honour. When the leader ( Cascamorras) and townspeople of Guadix came to claim the statue for the fiesta they were chased away by the Baza townspeople. On return to Guadix empty handed they recieved abuse from townspeople angry at their failure. On the 6 Sepetmber every year a resident of Guadix dresses as the Cascamorras and attempts to reach the Iglesia de Merced to steal the statue. On the journey he is jostled and provoked by inhabitants of both towns in the enactment of the tradition. Afterwards there is a long party.

Natural Park Sierra de Baza

Above Baza can be found the recently created Natural Park Sierra de Baza.

The park is crossed by numerous paths, offering numerous walks for hikers. The Sierra de Baza is mountainous with a number of peaks over 2000m in altitude. The area is well covered with trees, mainly oak and pine which give ideal habitat for birds of prey.

There are also two camping areas and four recreational areas. One can spend the night in the refuges.www.sierradebaza.org

Gastronomy

The gastronomy of the area is based on products from the vegetable gardens of the vegas, like olive oil, tomatoes, wheat and peppers.

Another characteristic product of the area is the capers, they grow wild and are used in salads.