Festivals in Benarraba

The Festivals of Benarrabá © Michelle Chaplow
The Festivals of Benarrabá

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Benarraba - Festivals

El Mercado Hebreo  - 2nd January
Calle Pósito is turned into a medieval village and where a large proportion of the villagers dress for the occasion. The street is full on both sides with local products, mainly food stuffs, as well local bars take part in the theme. Visitor form other villages, Ronda, and the coast take the opportunity to buy last minute presents ahead of the 'reyes'.

Cabalgata de Reyes Magos - 5th January
Three kings procession as all town in Andalucia. Leading to live presentation by the villagers of various nativity scenes. This tradition started in the first half of the twentieth century and takes place about 21.00hrs. The villagers  dress up and represent kings, peasants, farmers,  shepherds, and angels. The procession is guided by a star carried by the best donkey of the village and "Miguelito" The festival is quite complicated and devided into five different acts. In the final act, the Kings distribute present to the children in the church.

San Sebastian - 20th January
The Patron Sain of Benarraba is San Sebastian and it's celebrated on the 20th of January. The fiesta of La Asuncion is celebrated on the 15th of August and San Miguel is celebrated on the 29th of September each year.

Carnaval
The Carnival of Benarrabá wayned in the 1990's and the town is now working to reestablish the popular festival. The date varies each year. See our carnaval section for more general info. 

Feria Gastronómica de la Serranía de Ronda
Feria Gastronómica de la Serranía de Ronda is well established as it began in 2002. It is a motive to celebrate or sell organic and hand made foodstuffs from the locality. The main event takes place in a marquee errected in the Plaza de la Veracruz. There will be stands of local producers selling their products. The festival traditionally takes place over the long weekend created by the ‘day of Andalucia' (28th January) holiday. If the day of Andalucia does not create a long weekend then the event is moved to either Easter week or around the 1st May holiday. How complicated is that for the visiting tourist? Naturally the local bars and restaurant are in full swing.

As part of the annual Feria Gastronómica de la Serranía de Ronda held in Benarrabá, in March 2014 nearly 200 cortadores de jamón (ham slicers) secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest concentration of people cutting ham and filled an area of almost 50m2 with jamón ibérico!

Semana Santa
The traditional Semana Santa in Benarrabá is Viernes Santo (good Friday) in the morning when the image of  'Cristo de la Vera Cruz' is carried around the village. At 23.00 there is also the candlelit procession of Virgen de la Soledad from Iglesia de la Encarnación.

El huerto del niño
On Easter Saturday night, the young men of the village go out to the orchards and collect  vegetables and oranges and lemons and load them onto the thrown of San Juan. Then a small replica of Jesus is buried in the Huerto del Niño near Plaza de la Vera Cruz.    On Easter Sunday at 10,00 h a mass is celebrated and the San Juan precession visits the church where the virgin, looking for her son, asks San Juan where he is. After this meeting the villagers go to the Huerta for an charity auction of the produce that was donated earlier. .

Romería de San Juan

On the day of San Juan, like the celebrations on coastal fishing villages Benarraba celebrate similar at the confluence of the river Genal and the river Almáchar. Many villagers take part for this is the tradition opening of the annual bathing season. There is a party with music and dancing that take place jointly with the neighbouring village of  Genalguacil.

Semana Cultural
During one week in August there is a cultural week with a variety of activities.

 Festival de flameco "Luna Mora del valle del Genal"
A Flamenco festival which began in 2004 and is traditionally held on the Saturday of the cultural week. Both local performers and those from afar take part.

Feria patronal de San Miguel Arcángel
Summer festival in honour of patron saint San Miguel the Archangel including the ususal cultural activities in Plaza Veracruz. There is the Feria del dia (day fair) and also the nightime feria with bands and singing and dancing.  There are also a number of sporting competitions such as table football, bountain biking, clay pigeon shooting.

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