Benalauría: Festivals, history and landscape

Benalauría offers several clear starting points for planning a trip: festivals in August, historic buildings and museums, and views and landscapes of the Valle del Genal. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in the village, your interests can determine which of these topics takes centre stage. It is a good idea to check the dates if you want to plan your trip around a festival.

Festivals and local traditions

The Fiesta de Moros y Cristianos takes place on the first Sunday in August. It reenacts a Mudéjar rebellion from more than five centuries ago. The festival holds the official designation “Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional de Andalucía”; the Junta de Andalucía documented the award in 2001.

The Casa Consistorial is associated with the festival: the 17th-century building serves as a “castle” during the festivities. The CI Casa Moros y Cristianos presents the origins and development of the celebration through images, stories, historical texts and elements from the performance. During the Romería de la Virgen del Rosario, the Virgen is carried in an ox-drawn cart to the Área Recreativa El Bailadero.

The Fiesta de los Huertos takes place in mid-August. It includes a traditional breakfast featuring produce from local gardens. Visitors can also discover and buy produce from the gardens of Benalauría. If you are travelling for a festival, check the current event dates before making plans.

History in buildings and collections

The Museo Etnográfico is housed in the Molino de Antonio Almagro mill, whose origins date back to the 18th century. The collection includes a traditional olive press and wine presses. The museum also displays agricultural tools, weights, measures and other equipment used in agricultural production.

The Iglesia Santo Domingo de Guzmán was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century and restored at the beginning of the 19th century. The Capilla de Siete Pilas dates from around the late 1950s. The image of the Immaculate Conception has been venerated there since the chapel was built.

From the historic Torreón Virgen del Rosario, you can take in views of the Valle del Genal, the Sierra de las Nieves and the Sierra Bermeja. The cemetery also offers views over the Valle del Genal: it is laid out on interconnected terraces.

Landscape and wildlife watching

The Mirador del Fresnillo is located on Plaza del Fresnillo, a few metres from the Museo Etnográfico, and offers views over the Valle del Genal. The surrounding area is characterised by numerous meanders that create an impressive riverside landscape. Chestnut forests give the valley a particularly lush landscape known as the “Bosque de Cobre”.

The Cañón de las Buitreras is designated a Natural Monument of Andalusia. Its depths reach 100 metres and, in some places, up to 200 metres. A colony of griffon vultures nests in the rocks around the canyon. Wildlife that can be spotted around Benalauría includes griffon vultures, golden eagles, eagle owls, otters, roe deer and trout.

Regional wine and bread

Bodega 28 Metros Cuadrados offers visitors a wine experience featuring red, rosé and white wines. The wines are made from grapes grown by small local producers in the Genal and Guadiaro valleys. A bakery is also part of the region’s traditional local production: it has been operating since 1882, with three generations kneading and baking a bread product there.

Discover more destinations: Iznate, Los Villalones, Macharaviaya, La Cimada, Bermejo, Casares, Lagos, Jubrique

For the main travel overview: Málaga.