Nobody expects it: in a small village of the Almanzora valley, among marble workshops, there is one of the great art museums of Andalusia. The Museo Casa Ibáñez is the best reason to take a day off the bike in the Filabres.
A painter and a village
The museum was created by the painter Andrés García Ibáñez, born in Olula del Río in 1971. He started buying the first works in 1997, and the museum was officially opened on 24 November 2004. In 2005, the town council created the Fundación Museo Casa Ibáñez to take care of its management.
What is inside
The collection has more than 1,200 works, not all on display. The museum has 16 halls: 14 for the permanent collection and 2 for temporary exhibitions. Among the artists are Joaquín Sorolla, Francisco de Goya, Antonio López and the founder himself. There is also a section of crafts, with Venetian carnival masks and Spanish popular ceramics. It is one of the largest collections of contemporary art in Andalusia.
The museum is part of the Ciudad del Arte (City of Art) of Olula, a cultural complex of the town.
How to visit
- The museum is at Calle Museo 7, Olula del Río.
- Opening times and prices change: local listings say it is closed on Mondays, and the hours are short. Check the museum website (museoibanez.com) before you go.
- Plan between one and two hours.
- It is a perfect plan for a rest day, or a rainy one.
Do not confuse it with the Museum of Contemporary Spanish Realism (MUREC) in the city of Almería, which is a different project of the same art foundation.
Where to eat
In Olula del Río you can have lunch at Platos Rotos, Rustir Bistrobar or Restaurante Albero (see the picks in the guide to the Filabres), and Macael is only a few kilometres away.
Near our routes
Olula del Río sits in the Almanzora valley, between the climbs of the Filabres. See our guide to the Filabres and Calar Alto.
Photo of Olula del Río: Carlooscc (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Other photos: Ride Almería.