The village of Benaoján |
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BENAOJÁN village in the Serrania de Ronda
As the name suggests (the prefix Ben- found across the region derives from the Arabic 'ibn', 'son of'), this is another village of Moorish origins. Located very near to Montejaque, the settlement can be found in two halves. The original village was built on a mountainside with the lower community in the Guadiaro river valley that grew up around the railway station. The area is popular for rural tourism, and offers excellent walks, mountain views and potholing. Indeed, the lower part of the municipality runs into Grazalema Natural Park, with the valley dominated by the striking limestone peaks of Ventana at 1298 metres and Palo at 1400 metres above sea level.
The village is typically Moorish with its narrow streets converging on the Plaza and church. The largest building is the Parish Church of Our Lady of Rosario, which was started in the 15th century soon after the conquest. Much remodelling was done 300 years later due to the population explosion and as late as 1941 after the severe damage during the Civil War, when repairs were made to the medieval nave and an additional porch area built. The tower has an octagonal appearance after its square base, suggesting Moorish origins. Having found the church and small Plaza, it is difficult to decide which way to go. The village is narrow, at times just three streets wide.
El Gato Cave
The calle Fuente offers an interesting route to the source of the town's water supply. En route, you will pass a very large gateway, at the junction with calle Convento. As nothing now remains of a religious house, this entrance must have been associated with the convent. The houses at the edge of the village are built on a large platform of ancient construction and natural rock. Historical records hint at a castle built on a site called Tajo del Castillejo, but the village long ago engulfed this. It has been suggested that the castle may have stood between the plaza and behind the town hall. Keeping the line of site theory in mind, it is in contact with another fortification across the Guadiaro valley (see Torre de los Moros).
Before leaving the village, look up towards the dominating limestone mountain. A large overhang will catch your attention, dotted with white crosses. Passing out of the village down to the railway line, you can not miss the pig processing plant and its large fleet of lorries.
Benaojan won a new lease on life 100 years ago, when its chorizo, sausage, became rightly famous throughout the pueblos. The pigs are reared free range in the oak forests that cover the hills. The village now has a large processing plant and the local pigs are slaughtered in the New Year matanza (literally, 'slaughter'), to produce prime chorizo sausage in wine. Other pork and ham by-products are also famed in the carnicerias of the pueblos.
Among the fiestas, the most important is that celebrating the arrival of the railway and the boom it sparked. The Verbena del Tren is an open-air event at the railway station at the end of July. At least 80 kilos of Benaojan sausage are laid out for partygoers and the sangria flows. Other fiestas are celebrated on the 25 April to San Marcos and on 7 October for the Virgin of Rosario.
El Molino del Santo Hotel has a restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner. Closed October to March. An interesting walk from Benaoján to Jimena de Libar is described in "The Walk of Mr. Henderson´s Railway" and the railway line itself is described in Mr Hendersons Railway line. The Cueva del Gato (Cat Cave) is a few km fromthe village.
Benaoján - Hotels
Book hotels in Benaoján
Walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts
Buy walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts
"Walking in Andalucia" by Guy Hunter Watts
Walking in Andalucía is a 260 page full colour guide to some of the very best walks in southern Spain, taking the walker on 34 routes - all starting and most finishing in beautiful villages - in the Natural Parks of Grazalema, La Alpujarra, Cazorla, Los Alcornocales, Aracena, and La Axarquia. Many of the full and half day walks are virtually unknown even though they are a short drive from the Costa del Sol. Even though more and more people are beginning to walk Spain's southern sierras, most of the routes remain blissfully undiscovered. Guy says, 'If you decide to head for the hills with my guide you can be sure of two things: you will be walking through areas of great natural beauty and you will meet with other walkers.'
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking in Andalucia.
"The Andalucian coast to coast walk " by Guy Hunter Watts
A stunning 21 day, 435 kilometre trail that links the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. The walk passes through six of Andalucia's Natural Parks and protected areas via its most beautiful mountain villages. Far more than a long walk, this on-foot odyssey can lead you to the heart of southern Spain's magnificent sierras and on a life-changing journey of discovery. One of the best things about the simple act of walking is the sense of reconnecting with Nature and the Big Wide World. We've been moving around on two feet for a very long time yet still, in the simple act of putting one foot in front of the next and moving across landscape, it seems that we reassert our identity. Day to day worries fall into insignificance, or rather true significance, when we get out into the mountains and walking is about a lot more than taking exercise.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers The Andalucian Coast-to-coast Walk.
"Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema" by Guy Hunter Watts
The dramatically situated town of Ronda can make a great base for a walking holiday in the mountains of Andalucía, as can any one of the picturesque 'pueblos blancos' (white villages) that nestle among the surrounding hills. This guidebook presents 32 mainly circular walks in the Ronda region, covering the town and its environs, the Natural Parks of La Sierra de Grazalema and La Sierra de las Nieves (both UNESCO biosphere reserves), and the Genal and Guadiaro Valleys. Clear route description is illustrated with mapping, and the route summary table and 'at a glance' information boxes make it easy to choose the right walk.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema.