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The River Watermills
The territories of Bullas have been especially generous on producing cereal harvests, mainly wheat; together with the existence of a permanent water course, this has made possible that its river banks landscape has been closely linked to the life of the watermills.
They were hydraulic mills, where huge stones have moved during centuries impelled by the river waters. Although none of them is currently working for the purposes they were built in the past, we still preserve their facilities and, in some cases in a very good condition due to restoration works carried out on them. Some of these mills still transmit the strength of the tradition. The 'Molino de Abajo' (Lower Mill), for example, has recovered great part of its old character thanks to the recent works of rehabilitation that have turned it a Rural Hostel. At present, it is a real museum and a tribute to the work and the effort of many generations of millers. But we can also find some others, not with less history, partial or totally preserved, such as the Molino de Arriba (Upper Mill), Molino de Enmedio (Middle Mill), Río Puente Mill, Sebastián Mill or Salvador Mill.
In some of them we can still see its different parts: the bucket, the hopper, the ground and flying stones, the hoist,... All of these are faithful witnesses of a time of experienced artisan technologies. 'Zarzolas', 'costales', 'ciazos', 'barchillas' and 'cuartillos', among others, have been some of the miller's most essential tools everywhere - today useless but plenty of history and memories -.
The point is that the traditional milling activity, designed to disappear for a long time, has given birth today to new possibilities, that is, taking advantage of these inherited facilities for cultural purposes; and thus being able to create a Route of the Mills, a walk through history as a tribute to the work and the culture of the people.
The Mula River
The Mula River, with its permanent waters, represents one of the more important natural surroundings of our town, from the landscaping and ecological point of view. We can divide the river basin in two different sectors, the first one from the birth to the 'Molino de Abajo' and the second one until limits of Mula's municipal district.
The first sector represents the highest and therefore the coolest part of the stream. There we can see small willows and poplar forests (Salto del Usero), as well as bramble patches with honeysuckles, wild roses, blackberries and hawthorn berries (great producers of fruits that feed a high number of birds). Between the dense maze of shrubs and small trees it is usual to find aged walnuts and gall oaks. In the flooded areas there is rushy and, in the backwaters, red maces (a species used for manufacture of brooms and chairs). It is frequent to observe ferns, and among them the maidenhair (with medicinal properties). In some areas, man has altered partially the natural vegetation, facilitating the appearance of read beds, many of them crossed by footpaths, which add a greater charm to the natural surroundings and invite us to take a walk by these places.
The second sector is warmer, and therefore a little more impoverished concerning vegetation. Most characteristic, it is the presence of redbuds that can be seen in mosaic together with oleander and rush. In this sector it is important to emphasize the presence of some arboreal units of elm trees.
From the recreational point of view, the higher area has been better exploited, not only because of its vegetal wealth, but also because of the presence of great 'vaeras' (river pools), that is, more or less deep and ample areas in which we can enjoy great baths on fresh waters. We must remark the 'vaera' of the Pasico Ucenda, Salto del Usero, Los Estrechos, Río Puente, etc., and a lot of spots that can be visited on foot through a short walking track (P.R.), or by car through the local roads.