Ulea is a place of contrasts where the fresh greenness of the Ricote valley stands out against the aridness of the surrounding mountains. It is totally dominated to the north by the mountain El Castillo.Iberians and Romans settled here, but it was under Muslim rule that the present character of the town was established. Like neighbouring towns it was given to the Orden de Santiago and stayed in their possession until the middle of the 19th century.
The natural environment comes from the river, which leaves a green trail of irrigated land, sprinkled with palms. The pine groves in the mountains are also quite attractive, with typical places like"Las Lomas" and"Las Fuentecicas."Historically, the economy of Ulea has been based mainly in agricultural tasks, developed with a base of oranges, lemons, apricots, pears and peaches, with an important industry involved in packing and export of the fresh products or delivery to the canning industry.The first residents of the Municipality of Ulea maybe go back to Neolithic times, since the proximity of the river and the mild climate make of this zone an ideal place for an establishment. But lamentably there is, for the moment, no material test by way of archaeological location, that corroborates this theory.
