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On this page, we tell the story of the Sendero de los Cuadros y de la Indala (Path of Paintings and Indala), an initiative by a young woman from Chercos that was narrated by Guillermo Mirón, a journalist from La Voz de Almería and Cadena Ser. We include the full article published on 22 October 2025 in La Voz de Almería, which recounts the entire process of creating this project that has decorated the SL-A 317 trail with 13 paintings.
The story of the young woman who has filled a spectacular trail in the heart of Almería with art
More than a dozen works have been exhibited along a stretch surrounded by nature and history
Sometimes, to turn a space into something different, unique and special, all it takes is the will of one person. That is what has made a trail in the interior of Almería, which was already an attraction in itself due to its natural surroundings, even more so now that it is surrounded not only by holm oaks and nature, but also by authentic works of art.
The person responsible for making this a reality is Fátima Sáez (28, Chercos), a young local woman who set out to fill part of the route that separates the two towns in the municipality, the urban centre of Chercos and the area known as Chercos Viejo, with art.
‘I joined a mountain club to go running and when I started participating in other towns I said: how beautiful they are, but mine is also beautiful, why can’t I organise a race or a trail that motivates people to come?’ she recalled during an interview on Cadena SER Levante.
Without further ado, once this possibility crossed her mind, she began to ‘clear part of the path’ until she reflected on this initiative again. ‘I thought: what if no one comes or we can’t hold a race because it costs too much money?’ So she came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was to do a job where at least she herself ‘would say in the mornings: it’s been a sacrifice, I have to go out and train’.
The idea grows
With this motivation and once she was clear that she wanted to make the trail near her home even more spectacular, she asked a friend what characterises this small village in the Almanzora Valley, and she knew immediately. “La Piedra Labrá – two rocks with engravings dating back centuries – and the figure of “la Indala”, similar to the famous Indalo.
‘I also thought it could be a kind of tribute to women, with “la Indala” being one of those who represent us,’ she adds with boundless energy, which immediately reminds her of another neighbour, Diego, who is taking part in a painting competition in the village. because ‘I think it’s so wonderful that a painter can set up and paint the street he’s looking at and do it in a matter of hours’ that he didn’t hesitate to take it into account.
I thought about the paintings, asked for permission, and they told me they thought the initiative was a great idea, so he printed copies of these canvases and ‘mounted them so they would look good, and then I displayed them along parts of the trail.’
In total, there are thirteen works of art along a stretch of approximately one kilometre, so visitors, whether hikers or runners, will find on average more than one painting every hundred metres.
Trail and decorated section
As for the route, Fátima explains the integrity of the trail, which begins ‘from the village’ and passes by ‘the bridge and a farmstead’ as well as ‘the threshing floors, which are also very beautiful and have a lot of history’. From there, you reach the area known as ‘Las Paletas’ and then the well-known Piedra Labrá until you reach Chercos Viejo, with all its attractions.
Once in the old village, which is well worth a visit in itself, visitors can go down to the nearby spot known as ‘el “cercao”’ and from there to ‘el Guijarro’ where ‘the paintings are’.
This selfless work has made this part of a trail that is already spectacular due to its location and history even more unique thanks to the art on display and the energy and drive of someone who had an idea and, unlike in many cases, dared to make it a reality.
