Casarabonela between the Castillo, festival traditions and hiking trails

Culture

The Castillo in Casarabonela is also known as Fortaleza del Rey Chico and is protected as a listed B.I.C. monument. The Castillo Árabe houses an interpretation centre with a model and several themed panels about life in al-Andalus. The building itself and its historical classification are therefore the focus of this cultural site. The names Castillo and Castillo Árabe refer to the same historic site within Casarabonela.

A fixed date in the annual calendar is the Fiesta de los Rondeles on 12 December. During the procession, oil-soaked, burning rondeles are carried through the town’s central streets. The Fiesta de la Virgen de los Rondeles was declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional de Andalucía by a resolution dated 12 December 2001.

The term “rondel” derives from “reondel” or “redondel”. In the past, this referred to a mat made of esparto grass that was used in olive oil mills to grind olives. During the fiesta, participants gather in the village square. The foods served there include buñuelos, “tostones” made from bread with oil and garlic, hot chocolate and other dishes. Thus, both the historical meaning of the term and the traditional use of the material are present in the festival events.

Hiking

Several hiking routes with different layouts begin in or pass through Casarabonela. The SL-A 310 Casarabonela–Tajo San Francisco is a 2.5-kilometre linear hiking trail. The SL-A 309 Puerto Martínez–Fuente Madrid is a 2.5-kilometre circular hiking trail through Casarabonela. The two trails therefore differ in their route formats, while each has a designated length of 2.5 kilometres. The trail names themselves identify the respective reference points: for the SL-A 310, this is Tajo San Francisco; for the SL-A 309, they are Puerto Martínez and Fuente Madrid.

A longer connection is provided by the GR 340 Camino Geológico Malacitano. The route is 144 kilometres long and comprises nine stages. It passes through nine towns in the Málaga hinterland, including Casarabonela. The eighth stage covers 12.7 kilometres from Carratraca to Casarabonela. Casarabonela is therefore designated both as a town along a multi-day route and as the destination of this eighth stage.

Nature

The “Mora i Bravard” Botanical Cactus Garden is located in Casarabonela. Its collection includes more than 11,000 specimens from 2,500 cactus and succulent species from around the world. The collection’s broad range therefore extends beyond Andalusia’s plant life and connects the site with a botanical compilation of worldwide origin. In addition to the number of specimens, the diversity of the cactus and succulent species represented is another defining feature of the garden.

Transport

Casarabonela had regular passenger transport services operated by Autobuses Sierra de Nieves.

Discover more destinations at: Los Villalones, Istán, Benamocarra, Saladillo Benamara, Caleta De Vélez, Algarrobo, Algatocín and Genalguacil.

For the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.