This Cadiz town has a special charm and a peculiar peculiarity: it is the rainiest in Spain. Its green mountains give a good example of this
White is the color that predominates in the town of Grazalema, chosen as one of the most beautiful in Spain in 2017 , which is part of the so-called White Villages Route. Like the others, it receives that name because white paint and lime star each of its facades. That makes the flowers that decorate the balconies and the entrances of the houses stand out as secondary attraction in all its streets, of steep route. The photogenic Grazalema collaborates with its pantry, of which one can not have any complaint: sausages, tagarninas, asparagus, chacina, roasted soups, roasted lamb, deer in sauce, empanadillas, amarguillos or shortbread cakes are essential in your kitchen . Sweet and savory natives of the area adorn the letters of the restaurants of the town, in whose stores basketwork and esparto items are piled up, as well as blankets, jackets or scarves of hand-woven sheep wool, which crown their shop windows.
Whether for its culinary richness or for the charm of its humble, almost snow-like buildings , this Cadiz town presents itself as a good holiday option for both foreigners and national tourism that renounces the coast. Being walled by the immense mountain range of Grazalema -place that records abundant rains due to storms from the Atlantic, a phenomenon that makes it the rainiest town in our geography-, temperatures are not reached too high. This, without a doubt, is one of the aspects that most visitors who are curious to know about this alternative at different times of the year, especially in summer.
However, the greatness of its mountains competes with the beauty of its historical monuments , such as the Church of Our Lady of La Aurora (building dating from the eighteenth century); the Carmelite Convent , built a century earlier and with canvases of a disciple of Murillo inside, or the Church of San Juan , which was built on an old mosque. On the contrary, the Roman Grazalema has two places of obligatory visit: the ruins of Lacilbula , an ancient Roman villa of the second century from which towers and remains of roads are still preserved; and the village of Benamahoma , which stands out mainly for its particular streets.
Walking between pinsapos
The visit to the town is as obligatory as the route through the surrounding mountain range . The Natural Park of the Sierra de Grazalema offers different hiking trails open to the public, such as the Pinsapar, one of the most attractive. Although it is open to the public, permission is required to access this site (request at cvelbosque@reservatuvisita.es). It is free, but many hikers are left without entering because there is a limited number of daily visitors. This is due to the need to preserve the nature of the mountains , declared by Unesco as a Biosphere Reserve in 1977. To take advantage of each of the shortcuts of this route - suitable, even for the less physically prepared - it is recommended to arrange A guided visit to. In addition to enjoying its views, the main objective of hikers is the discovery of pinsapos . This species of spruce characteristic of Mediterranean climates with high rainfall is in danger of extinction, so its conservation is essential and is the main attraction of the area.
culinary details
This place also has some gastronomic secret that is worth discovering. Very close to Jerez de la Frontera and just over an hour from Grazalema is the Rancho Cortesano de la Miel (www.ranchocortesano.net, free admission; guided tour: 8-10), an essential event for lovers of this sweet viscous . Tourists will be able to taste a wide desire for honeys of different flavors (chestnut, rosemary, orange blossom, avocado or eucalyptus, among others), in addition to knowing their different applications in natural cosmetics, such as soaps and creams. In addition, the most daring may wear the beekeeper's suit to witness the extraction of this candy from the honeycombs , with the beeswax included.
Those who prefer short distances, can drop by the El Molino de Abajo Ethnological Museum (www.elmolinodeabajo.com, entrance: 3 euros), a building located in El Bosque , just 20 km from the town, which returns us to Past times of rural work when technology did not take place. It shows the mode of operation of its hydraulic mill, dating from the eighteenth century.
On the contrary, for those who want to avoid displacements, we propose to know the details of Grazalema in depth, whether on foot or sitting . Because if they decide to do it in the second way, tourists will be able to get a little closer to the past based on payoyo cheese tapas accompanied by chopped stick in Casa Martín 1920 . Finally, with a full gut, the viewpoints of Asomaderos Square and Los Peñascos are offered as the best option to enjoy fascinating views of the Sierra de Grazalema and the town to which it gives its name, which contrast with the immensity of others very different tones to the whiteness of their houses.
Single color limit
With Grazalema as a reference point, visitors have the opportunity to approach the rest of the towns that make up the White Villages Route. They include Arcos de la Frontera , full of churches and convents built in the Christian era; Olvera , with the Arab Castle and Our Lady of the Incarnation Parish as obligatory places of visit; Setenil de las Bodegas , known for its homes, built under a rock ledge; and Zahara de la Sierra , where you can not miss the Plaza del Rey, the Mirador de la Alameda de Lepanto and the remains of its castle, from the Nasrid period. Together with the white color that predominates in its streets, the bright blue of its reservoir draws one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Andalusian heritage.
WHERE TO SLEEP
Hotel Fuerte Grazalema | Barre of the Alamillos, Highway a-372, km. 53. | 900 828 242 | from 97 euros. A few kilometers from Ronda and in the nucleus of the Natural Park of the Sierra de Grazalema is this hotel with a particular charm, not only for its enviable location, but also for the organization of the complex. Silence predominates in its exteriors and is sometimes interrupted by the singing of the roosters that live in the lower part of the hotel. In addition to a farm, the garden has a central pool, a jacuzzi and an organic garden . Its result moves to the kitchen of the restaurant De la tierra , with a philosophy based on the natural and healthy.
WHERE TO EAT
For those looking for diversity without leaving the chair, La Maroma (Santa Clara, s / n) offers in its menu a tour of the gastronomic map of the Andalusian mountain range . In addition to venison casseroles, payoyo cheese tables are essential. These products are also found in the Meson El Simancón (Plaza Asomaderos, 54), which configures a menu based on game dishes, stews, broths and fish - they can be accompanied by their cream sauce, onion and mushrooms -, with a glass of homemade pacharan to top off the meal. On the contrary, D'Sabor-Casa de las Piedras (Las Piedras 32) offers creative dishes according to the season. The most requested are the salads of fresh cheese, the avocado gazpacho with strawberry and almond and the beet salmorejo with apple and trout.
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