It was more than 18,000 years ago that the first inhabitants arrived in these rich and fertile lands. The oldest signs of prehistoric life date from this period, in places such as the Cueva de Ambrosio, with its Palaeolithic remains, and in the wealth of cave paintings to be found all over the area. In fact, of the 79 examples of cave paintings found in Andalucía, 25 are in the Los Vélez area of Almeria, and all of them have been declared a Heritage of Mankind.

These earliest cultures were followed by the Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, and Moors. The strategic position, to the north of the province, and near to Granada and Murcia, was of great interest to the Romans, who ordered the building of the Via Augusta, which crossed the area, and was a means of communication which facilitated its economic development. From the period of Roman occupation, the site of El Villar, in Chirivel, has been conserved. Here, they discovered a beautiful sculpture of Dionysus, dating from the 2nd century A.D. and it has become the symbol of the village.

For the Moors, the area took on a defensive role, in their efforts to stop the Christians in their attempts to penetrate the kingdom Granada. In fact, the castle in Vélez Blanco became one of the most difficult and unassailable of the period. Vélez Blanco surrendered peacefully to the Catholic Monarchs in 1488. In 1506 they made Don Pedro Fajardo and Chacón Marquis of Los Vélez, and he began the construction of the fine castle which presides over the town. Vélez Rubio was later incorporated into the feudal estate of Los Vélez, as well as María and Chirivel, villages whose origins were as clusters of farmhouses belonging to the Marquis estate.