El Burgo: Sierra de las Nieves, Trails and History

El Burgo is located in the Parque Nacional y Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves, which is also designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

Nature

The El Burgo-La Fuensanta hiking trail leads through the Sierra de las Nieves to La Fuensanta. It initially runs alongside cultivated areas and then descends into a dense Aleppo pine forest. At La Fuensanta, there is a recreational area around the Cortijo of the same name. The cortijo was an 18th-century grain mill; the water from a spring behind the building was used to operate it.

The Río Turón basin runs through the municipality of El Burgo. Its clear waters feed natural pools and old weirs. The GR-243 long-distance trail between El Burgo and Yunquera passes through areas of high scenic value in the Sierra de las Nieves. Its route includes distinctive trees, springs, viewpoints and caves. The Monumento Natural Mirador Cuenca del Río Turón-Mirador del Guarda Forestal is a natural monument.

Culture

The church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación in El Burgo is a Gothic-Mudejar building from the 16th century, with later alterations and additions. Its rectangular layout comprises three naves, with the central nave wider than the side aisles. Chamfered pillars separate the side aisles by means of pointed-arch arcades.

The church tower is a converted former minaret, of which only the lower part remains. The Convento de las Nieves is designated as a „Bien de Interés Cultural“ and dates back to a hermitage from 1550 dedicated to the Virgen de las Nieves.

The monastery of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves lies outside the town centre of El Burgo. Its single-nave church was built in the first half of the 16th century and rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century. The Puente Viejo crosses the Río Turón and forms part of the Paseo de la Acequia del Molino.

History

The Castillo de Miraflores stands on a hill above the old town of El Burgo and served as a defensive fortress in the Middle Ages. The Monolito de Las Lavanderas commemorates the women of El Burgo who used to wash their laundry in the river. This site was important to the daily lives of local residents until the 1970s.

The Cerro de la Cruz Blanca dolmen is located at kilometre 23 of the C-344, on the right-hand side of the road towards Ronda. It is approximately two kilometres from the town of El Burgo.

A municipal tourist information office is located in El Burgo at Calle Alcalde Eduardo Carbonel Cruz, s/n.

Tradition

The Sopa de los Siete Ramales festival is a traditional gastronomic celebration in El Burgo. It is held every year around Día de Andalucía and is recognised as a „Fiesta de Singularidad Turística“.

Other Places

Other places: Cártama, Ronda, Júzcar, Álora, Cajiz, Parauta, Istán, Sayalonga

For the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.