Benamargosa: Trails, Festivals and History

Benamargosa is located on the Ruta del Sol y Aguacate, one of five routes in the Axarquía Costa del Sol.

Townscape

The hillside townscape features an Arab-influenced layout with winding stairways, as well as Roman arches, murals, pillars and fountains. The Río Benamargosa runs through the town; its vegetation-lined banks offer views of the agricultural landscape.

Culture and History

In the lower part of the town stands the Iglesia de la Encarnación, considered the oldest and most important building in the municipality and built on the site of a former mosque. The church was built at the end of the 16th century on an octagonal floor plan, has three naves and an attached tower. An octagonal chapel and an octagonal camarín for Jesús Nazareno date from the 17th century; both are finished with Rococo stucco work.

The Arco de la Huerta bears witness to Benamargosa’s former agricultural importance and was used to irrigate numerous cultivated areas in the vega. The Puente de los Diez Ojos connects the banks of the Río Benamargosa and was built to provide access to the adjacent fertile fields. The Ermita del Cementerio is a simple, vernacular cemetery chapel commissioned in 1840 by Doña María de Santiago for the burial of her husband.

Trails and Landscape

The Ruta de la Corta leads from the bridge in Benamargosa along the Río Benamargosa via the Puente Salto del Negro to Laguna La Corta and back. The easy route is around nine kilometres long and takes approximately two hours. From Pechuelos Altos, the Ruta de la Fuente de la Gota leads via El Castañar and the Fuente de la Gota to Benamargosa on the upper Arroyo Limón; it is approximately 3.5 kilometres long, moderately difficult and takes about two hours.

The Ruta de Málaga runs from the bridge in Benamargosa along the road to Cútar to the municipal boundary of Almáchar and back. It is around four kilometres long, moderately difficult and takes approximately two hours. The Ruta del Tinao leads from Benamargosa via Arroyo Carvajal, Loma Banca, Zambucha, El Tinao and Los Cahorrillos back to Benamargosa.

The Portugalejo-Benamargosa-Comares route passes through scenic rural areas and showcases the region’s rural culture. It is classified as moderately difficult to challenging because orientation is difficult. A one-kilometre-long Vía Verde runs in Benamargosa to the Ingenio de San Rafael. The Ingenio de San Rafael was built in 1900 to produce sugar cane syrup, is considered one of 37 surviving examples of the sugar industry in the province of Málaga and forms part of Málaga’s industrial history.

Getting There

The route to Benamargosa leads via the A-7 Mediterranean motorway, the A-356 towards Vélez-Málaga and then along the signposted MA-3113.

Festivals and Traditions

For the Corpus Christi festival, blankets and cloths decorate the balconies; on Corpus Christi Sunday, residents erect altars in the streets. During the Corpus Christi procession, the procession stops at the altars, where prayers are said and the altars are blessed, while children throw flower petals at the monstrance.

The festival in honour of San Sebastián takes place on 20 January. The patron saint’s image is carried through the streets of Benamargosa and visits the homes of the mayordomos. The Romería in honour of the Virgen Inmaculada is celebrated in June.

The Feria de Agosto takes place on the first weekend of August and is considered one of Benamargosa’s oldest and most important festivals. On Saturday and Sunday, from midday onwards, it includes a Feria de día with music and set-up drinks stalls for locals and visitors. In the evenings, the Caseta Oficial offers an orchestra, various performances and concerts, as well as an amusement area.

Agriculture and Flavours

Benamargosa is known for its lemon, mango and avocado groves and is associated with the Axarquía’s tropical agriculture. Baty Cate is a typical drink from Benamargosa, an avocado milkshake made with avocado, cinnamon, sugar and milk. At the Feria del Campo, visitors can try Batycate, Ensaladilla Cateta, Zoque or “Limón Pera”, cherry tomatoes, callos and Ajo-Bacalao.

Other places you can discover from this page include Casarabonela, Bobadilla-Estación, Canillas De Aceituno, Pizarra, Cajiz, Teba, Los Puertas and Los Morales.

For the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.