Mondrón: Museo del Aceite, Sierra de Vilo and Río Guaro

Culture and History

One of Mondrón’s most important cultural attractions is the Museo del Aceite. The museum is housed in the Cooperativa Olivarera San José Artesano, which was founded in 1967. Historical exhibitions are part of the museum visit; in addition, the Museo del Aceite combines the visit with an operational olive oil mill. The combination of the exhibition and the working mill provides an insight both into history and into the continued processing of olive oil.

The festivals held in honour of Saint Fernando are considered the most important celebration in Mondrón’s festival calendar. The celebration in his honour normally includes a solemn Mass and a procession. During this procession, an image of the saint is carried through the streets of Mondrón. The procession moves the religious part of the celebration from the church into the town’s public space.

The Iglesia de San Fernando is an important religious meeting place in Mondrón and also an important social gathering place. The original Iglesia de San Fernando was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1884. The Fuente de Mondrón is a historic communal water point. It was also used as a watering place for livestock.

Olive Oil

The Ruta del Aceite y los Montes is a 67.7-kilometre route. It runs through Periana as well as Riogordo, Colmenar and Alfarnate. Alfarnatejo, Alcaucín and La Viñuela are also municipalities along this route. It is dedicated to the tradition of olive oil production and the gastronomy of the participating municipalities. The route connects several municipalities and thus broadens the view of the olive oil tradition beyond a single place.

Nature and Landscape

The Sierra de Vilo lies north of Mondrón. It shapes the landscape around the town. The mountainous area around Mondrón contains centuries-old olive groves. These include monumental Verdial olive trees. The centuries-old trees stand within the olive groves and are therefore part of the agriculturally shaped mountain landscape.

The peaks of the Sierra de Vilo offer views of Mondrón and Periana. In clear weather, the view even extends as far as the Mediterranean Sea. The Río Guaro is the most important flowing body of water in the Mondrón area. It has shaped the landscape and settlement development of this area. Fertile valleys and vega areas developed along the Río Guaro and were traditionally used for irrigated agriculture. The vega areas designate the fertile valley sections along the river; their traditional use points to the importance of irrigation for agriculture.

Water and Surroundings

The Baños de Vilo are located in the surroundings of Mondrón, in the municipality of Periana on the Río Guaro. There, a restored immersion pool is fed by a sulphur spring with a constant temperature of 21°C. Some authors associate the use of this pool with the Andalusi period and the alquerías of Mondrón, Guaro and Bilo.

You can find more pages about other places here: El Burgo, Almachar, Bobadilla, La Cala del Moral, Moclinejo, Pizarra, Los Morales and Torrox.

Geographical Location

The MA-4103 provincial road is Mondrón’s main road connection to Periana.

For the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.