Click
here to request info about property for sale in Benarraba Spain.
The
territory of the municipality of Benarraba, watered by the Rivers Genal and
Guadiaro, presents to the visitor a landscape forested with cork oaks, evergreen
oaks and pines on the one hand and on the other olive groves and grain fields,
crops that give away along the riverbanks to citrus trees, vegetables and
orchards. These lands as a whole possess the diversity that is characteristic
of a varied mountain terrain rich in contrasts. It is in the watershed of
the River Genal, though, that the landscape reaches levels of outstanding
beauty. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Benarraba please contact us.
The urban district faces the valley of the River Genal. It sits on a knoll on which has been laid out a fascinating maze of streets and alleys in whose background, bends in the street permitting, can be seen the verdant nearby forest.
There is no reliable evidence of human settlement in these lands before the arrival of the Arabs to the Iberian Peninsular, so every indication is that the place was founded during the Muslim era, apparently by descendants of the Bann Rabbah (Sons of Rabbah) tribe of the Berbers, thus the name of the town.
These first settlers constructed a fortification
on the slopes of Mount Porón that dominated a landscape that included
the neighbouring towns of Jubrique, Gaucin,
Algatocín and Genalguacil.
This was responsible for the fortress becoming the best point for observing
and defending a large part of the valley. There are those who say, perhaps
letting their imaginations run wild, that that castle had an underground connection
with those of Casares and Gaucin.
After the Christian Conquest, these lands passed directly into the hands of
the House of Medina Sidonia.
One of the most important and best-documented historic occurrences in this
place is in fact connected to the House of Medina Sidonia. In 1636, the ninth
duke of that illustrious name passed through Benarraba on the way to Montilla
where he was going to pick up his wife, Juana Fernández de Córdoba,
whom he had married by proxy. The retinue passed through the place with such
pomp and ostentation that it went down in local history as a notable event.
Fiestas
The eve of Three Kings Day has a special importance in Benarraba. On that
night, the residents of the town act out a short play about the Three Wise
Men, using the town’s streets as a natural stage, and at its conclusion
everyone goes to the church where the gifts are distributed. In February the
Gastronomic Fair is held, a great enticement to lovers of fine food.
The patron saint fiestas in honour of Saint Sebastian are held on 20 January,
and on the day of San Miguel (29 September) the Fiestas Grandes (Grand Fiestas)
of the town are celebrated. The San Juan pilgrimage (24 June) is also very
popular. On that date the residents travel to the banks of the River Genal.
The Semana Cultural (Cultural Week) is observed in mid August, when different
initiatives get underway that attract a large public.
Food
As in other towns of the region, the field of gastronomy in Benarraba
is closely linked to the delicious locally produced sausage. Morcillas, chorizos
and salchichones head the list of products most in demand for their quality.
In autumn the different mushroom soups are the most typical native dishes
of Benarrabá, as are callos (a tripe dish), cocido (a distinctive Spanish
stew) and gazpcho at other times of the year. As far as pastries are concerned,
mention must be made of alfajores and buñuelos, especially popular
during the Christmas season.
How to get there:
If the traveller is in Ronda or its environs,
the easiest way to get to this town is to take the A-369 (Ronda-Algeciras
road), and once past Algatocín to take the MA-538 to Benarrabá.
If he is starting from the Costa del Sol, it is advisable to go by way of
the AP-7 (N-340) to Manilva and there to take the
A-377 to Gaucin, where it connects with the A-369
and Benarraba is then reached by the aforementioned MA-358.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Calle Pósito, 7 (29490). Telephone: 952 150 077; Fax: 952
150 208
Error! The codelock file is missing...