Beas de Granada

Beas de Granada © Michelle Chaplow
Photos - Clockwise. Iglesia Parroquial de la Inmaculada. Great views of the snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains. The village. The stone monument, El Fraile. ( Click to enlarge).
Springtime in Beas de Granada © Michelle Chaplow
Springtime in Beas de Granada. Almond trees, farmed for hundreds of years on the terraced landscape of Beas de Granada, Sierra de Huétor © Michelle Chaplow
El Friaile © Michelle Chaplow
According to a ledgend, in Moorish times treasure was burried in the Sierra de Huétor, this is one of two stautes that appaerntly leads to the treasure. © Michelle Chaplow

An old legend still attracts treasure seekers to Beas de Granada where it is said a wealthy merchant once hid his fortune before heading off to war. In reality, it is believed he hid his wealth in one of two identical statues, one of which was torn down in the search for the treasure. It seems the remaining statue was somehow able to prove its innocence without having to be toppled over. You can still visit this statue in the town. It’s called “El Fraile” (the friar).

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Beas de Granada was once perched along a commercial route, which is why the town came about in the first place. The name “bea” supposedly means “path” and you can still find remains of an old Roman road around the village.

When you visit Beas de Granada, there are several monuments worth seeing. One is a fountain surrounded by images of lions. If you’ve ever been to Granada’s Alhambra, this fountain will ring a bell because it is an exact replica of the Alhambra’s fountain.

Beas de Granada also has a very nice church called the Iglesia Parroquial de la Inmaculada. It was built in the 16th century over the ruins of a mosque, which tells us just a bit more about the history of this place as it was indeed inhabited by the moors during that phase of Spanish history.

The area around Beas de Granada is ideal for rural tourism, especially the Sierra de Huétor area which is full of paths for trekkers wishing to experience the great outdoors and enjoy the splendid weather in this area – particularly during spring and autumn.

Gastronomy

The star product in Beas de Granada is “mosto”, a grape beverage that accompanies local pork ribs, mushrooms and garbanzo stews quite nicely.

Shopping

Shopping in Beas de Granada – for those wishing to acquire locally made products – centres around traditional carpets, tapestries and “jarapa” throws which people of the Alpujarra mountain regions are known for producing.

Fiestas

Every January 6 the Three Kings Day is celebrated throughout Spain, but in Beas de Granada there is an additional reason to celebrate because the town holds the annual Fiesta del Mosto. Other important festivals take place in August when the patron saint days are celebrated and during Holy Week when children parade about with an image of baby Jesus on Easter Sunday.

Directions

Beas de Granada is 30 kilometres from Granada city. Take the A-44 heading towards Albolote then the A-92 to Sierra de Huétor.

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