Towns & Villages

BENAOJAN - 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.

SANDWICHED between the Alcornocales natural park and Sierra de Grazalema natural park in the far western reaches of Malaga province is the pueblo blanco (white town) of Cortes de la Frontera. It is in a superb vantage point overlooking the sweeping Guadiaro valley below, with a spectacular backdrop of the Serranía de Ronda mountains. Dominating the landscape around the town are extensive woods of cork trees (alcornocales) that stretch from the Guadiaro river westwards, to where the municipal boundary meets Cadiz province, and beyond. Cork has contributed greatly to the local economy since the late 17th century. Cortes used to be one of the richest pueblos blancos because of cork production and evidence of this wealth can still be seen today in the grand 18th-century mansions lining the main street.

JIMERA de Líbar is an excellent destination for anyone wishing to enjoy the wonders of rural tourism in Andalucia. This town is one of the white villages in the Ronda mountains (Serranía de Ronda). It is nestled in the Guadiaro Valley right across from the Líbar mountain range and – best of all – it is inside the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Within the actual town of Jimera de Líbar the sights centre around the town hall and religious buildings. With the village divided into two separate parts, you have the town hall and the Our Lady of the Rosary Church in one area. The other part of town is actually two kilometres away. It's called the 'Barriada de la Estación' (The Train Station Neighbourhood) and includes the Hermitage for the town's patron saint, the 'Virgen de la Salud' (Virgen of Health).

AS in all the pueblos blancos, Montejaque dates from the time of the Berber settlers, after the Moslem conquest. Located in a semi-hidden bowl hidden by circular rocky outcrops, it overlooks a small fertile valley of olive groves. Officially Montejaque is home to just over 1,000 people, although there is a concerted effort to improve its economy with rural tourism. Many homes were abandoned and fell into disrepair as the population left, firstly for Ronda then further afield. Indeed a plaque in the village commemorates the constant exodus of people, initially in the 17th century, to colonise America and in more recent times to Holland in search of work. The ever-expanding Costa today still attracts the young away in their quest for wealth and a less regimented social order.