Puebla de Don Fadrique: Sierra de La Sagra and Andalusian Culture

Culture and History

In Puebla de Don Fadrique, the Iglesia de Santa María de la Quinta Angustia is listed as a historic monument in the General Register of the Historical Heritage of Andalusia. The church has a three-nave hall plan; its rectangular apse is covered with a star vault. The main altar was created by Jerónimo Fernández Caballero in the first third of the 18th century.

The Fiesta de Pascua of Puebla de Don Fadrique is recognised as a festival of tourist interest in Andalusia and is based on a tradition more than 500 years old. During the fiesta, the Cascaborras, Inocentes and the Cuadrilla parade through the streets of the municipality.

The Museo Etnográfico y Arqueológico de Puebla de Don Fadrique combines ethnography, folklore and archaeology. The Casa Museo Gregorio Marín has a García-Lorca room on the ground floor; the two upper floors display, among other things, various sculptures, ceramics, paintings and collages. Many of the sculptures and paintings on display there are by artists from Granada. According to its articles of association, the Fundación Gregorio Marín pursues the creation, preservation and further development of a museum known as the Casa Museo Gregorio Marín for exhibiting art objects of various kinds.

Nature and Protected Landscape

The Sierra de La Sagra is considered a bioclimatic island in a dry environment and has been part of the Natura 2000 network as a Zona Especial de Conservación since 2015. Its wildlife includes griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, bearded vultures, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, ibex, deer, wild boar, wildcats and almost 20 species of bat.

More than 30 giant sequoias, almost two centuries old, grow in the La Losa area. As the site is fenced off, visits to the giant sequoias of La Losa take place in organised groups through the tourist office.

The Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra is located on private land. There are no guided tours or public observations there; the site can only be viewed from the road.

Mountain Trails and Walks

The La Cerrada mountain refuge is located in the municipality of Puebla de Don Fadrique, in the La Cerrada public forest, on the northern side of the Sierra de la Sagra protected area and at an altitude of 1,525 metres. Access from Huéscar is via the paved road to the Ermita de las Santas and the Área Recreativa de las Santas. The route then continues for approximately six kilometres along a gravel forest track that is not always suitable for passenger cars.

Outside the rest of its period of use, the La Cerrada mountain refuge was used as accommodation for the ascent to the summit of La Sagra. The signposted PR-A 321 hiking trail covers 10.2 kilometres and 1,145 metres of elevation gain to the summit.

Puebla de Don Fadrique also offers a pleasant, easy two-and-a-half-hour circular walk with guides who specialise in the municipality’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Cuisine and Festivals

Cordero Segureño has protected geographical indication status. The production area lies above 500 metres; birth and rearing must take place within the defined area.

The Jornadas Gastronómicas de la Matanza y el Embutido have taken place between the end of February and the beginning of March since 2015. They showcase the traditional slaughter and sausage-making process, along with free tastings of traditionally prepared Tajas and Tocinillos.

The livestock fair of Puebla de Don Fadrique has a tradition spanning more than 200 years and is now a gastronomic festival featuring prepared tapas, livestock exhibitions, talks, traditional dances and children’s attractions.

Other places you can discover here include Los Balcones, Otura, Benalúa De Las Villas, Cúllar, Fonelas, Pulianas, Diezma and Moraleda De Zafayona.

For the higher-level travel overview: Granada.