Benamaurel between the Sulfur Route and Cave Houses

Nature

On the Ruta del Azufre, Benamaurel presents a landscape in which the route, badlands and the history of sulfur mining are closely interconnected. The approximately eight-kilometer-long trail is linear and begins at the Plaza Mayor. It leads downhill through the San Antonio district to the Vega del Guardal. The linear route thus connects its starting point within the town with the lower-lying landscapes; Plaza Mayor, San Antonio and Vega del Guardal all belong to the same route described here.

The Ruta del Azufre then runs through the badlands of Benamaurel to the El Minado area. Sulfur was extracted there from shafts. The route thus connects several clearly named landscapes and historical areas: the badlands, El Minado and the former shafts lie along its course.

The Minas de azufre de Benamaurel were formed through the biologically induced formation of elemental sulfur. This formed in sediments beneath a shallow lake saturated with mineral salts. The geological conditions of the Ruta del Azufre are designated in the Granada Geopark as Lugar de Interés Geológico LIG 55. The deposit is therefore linked to a specific sequence of a shallow lake, mineral salts and sediments. The sulfur formed under these biologically induced conditions in this former depositional environment.

History

The Iglesia de la Anunciación was built in 1520 over an earlier mosque. The building includes a wooden roof structure that was installed after the loss of the coffered ceiling. The coffered ceiling was lost in a fire in 1837; the wooden structure therefore points to a specific change in the church’s architectural history. The wooden roof structure thus belongs to the later architectural history of the church and dates from after the fire.

Another characteristic feature of Benamaurel is its troglodytic districts with their cave houses. They were used as traditional dwellings for centuries and hollowed out of the slopes of hills and ravines. Here, the form of habitation and the landscape are directly interconnected: the houses do not stand beside the slopes but are worked into their forms. Troglodytic dwellings therefore refer here to houses whose rooms are worked directly into the slopes of hills and ravines.

Culture

On the last Sunday in April and the following Monday, Benamaurel celebrates its traditional Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos. In Andalusia, they are recognized at the autonomous-community level. The festivities include “Las Batallas” and “Los Papeles”.

Both elements of the festivities focus on the “Cautiverio y Rescate de Ntra. Sra. La Virgen de la Cabeza”. “Los Papeles” forms the main focus of the festival. The Spanish names make it clear that the celebration preserves its own specifically named forms and a precisely defined thematic focus.

Cuisine

During the event, the Feria Alimentaria Benamaurel combines the tasting of local products with their purchase. This also gives the local food culture its own place alongside the geological features, cave houses and traditional festivals.

Discover more places: Fuensanta, Ferreira, Almuñécar, Fuente Vaqueros, Padul, Cijuela, Alamedilla, Cástaras

To the main travel overview: Granada.