The Paraje de La Cerrada de Valentín, La Cerrá, is a narrow and vertiginous gorge of several dozen meters, more than 120, a gash in the rock through which a small section of the Bacares River runs. Spectacular nature, history, work and leisure are concentrated there. Since my great grandparents, my family has been linked to their environment, hard work and happy moments. It is a benchmark of the natural and cultural heritage of the City of Tíjola.
There are many vestiges of ancient populations settled in the environment. The place must have been very coveted for the abundance of water, mineral deposits and the defensive strength of the land. The current of water and its great unevenness favored agricultural use, livestock and the driving force for mills and other industries. The surrounding subsoil hides copper, iron, cinnabar and agate. La Cueva de la Paloma produced copper from the Argaric period (II millennium BC) until the last century. The abundance of limestone is remarkable, indispensable for ashlars, masonry and mortar. To the south, the Sierra de los Filabres offered wood, honey and all kinds of medicinal plants. To the north, just a few hundred meters, La Muela is a huge deposit of pottery clay of the best quality.