Grazalema - Cádiz - Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema

Grazalema, legendary village in the Serranía gaditana, is located to the Northeast of its province, set in the hills with the same name and within the protected space of the first Nature Reserve that was made in Andalucía; the Nature Reserve of Sierra de Grazalema. Grazalema is included within the Route of the White Villages in Cádiz.

Located in the slope of Sierra del Endrinal, Grazalema spreads along to flow into Tajo River, which leads us to Guadalete Valley.

Behind Grazalema we can observe the imposing and protecting Peñón Grande that borders on the North with Sierra Morena, on the South with Sierra del Endrinal, and on the East with Sierra Rondeña de las Nieves.

To the West we find San Cristobal at a height of 1.555 metres and, to the North, Sierra del Pinar being this the highest orographical point of Cádiz, at a height of 1.653 metres. In this area Pinsapo has his reign, a specimen of pine that we can consider Prehistoric because it is the only kind of tree that survived to the last alpine glaciations.

Grazalema has in its environment two earthly paradises of the Sierra which stands out for its natural wealth; one of them is the Ribera de Gaidovar, a valley watered by the river that gives it the name and transforms it in a genuine garden with mild temperatures that creates a microclimate, and the other one is, the Benamahoma Village, which has its own identity, whose main wealth is its elegant aspect and the most valuable good is water, that from its origin springs up in abundance.

It has a privileged geographical enclave which place it in the centre of a triangle formed by the villages of Cádiz, Sevilla and Málaga and because of this Grazalema has a good accessibility from any place you come from.

The first settlers were the Romans and then the Berbers, they named the village (Gran Zulema) and established a thriving economy based on farm produce and textile handicraft.

In1485 it returned to the Christians framed in Ponce de Leon manor. After many centuries with an important textile industry (the blankets of Grazalema were very important) is semi destroyed by the devastating act of Napoleón troops.

Of these centuries of splendour we have some interesting remains such as Encarnación Church and San José and Aurora Church that were baroques.

Monuments

Church of Nuestra Señora de la Aurora
Church of San José
Church of San Juan
Church of Los Angeles
Parish Church of Ntra. Sra. de la Encarnación
Lacilbula
Town hall
Hermitage of El Calvario

Routes of Interest

Route of Agua
Route to the Puerto del Boyar
Route of El Calvario
Route to the Fresnillo Dam
Route to the Calzada Medieval
Route to the Ribera de Gaidovar
Route to "El Santo"

Gastronomy

It is typical Grazalema cheese, obtained from ewe and goat milk, it is of hard past, medium-dry and pressed, with a creamy colour. It ripens in the three months.

It is also elaborated Cádiz cheese, fresh, with goat milk, compact, soft and white colour.

With the porks, dried meats and sausages are elaborated. The hunting and lamb meats are good to cook stews.

Between its dishes, there are some with guarantee of origin, such as Grazalema soup, red or White stew, depending if it is cooked with hard pork sausage or sausage. There is also asparagus soups and mixed of asparagus.

Among its confectionery, we have the delicious amarguillos (a sweet with almonds, eggs and sugar) and the cubiletes.

How to get there

By Plane:

The airport of Jerez (the only in the province), is located to105 km from Grazalema and there are flights that operate from this airport to different national destinations. You can arrive to Cádiz through N-IV from the airport.

By car from Málaga:

• N-340 towards Algeciras-Benalmádena
• In the Xx kilometre (between Benalmádena and Mijas) take the left detour (toll road) towards Marbella-Algeciras
• Marbella (you pass near it)
• A49 / N340 / E15 for 1.1 km
• N340 / E15 for 6.6 km
• N340 for 5.6 km
• San Pedro de Alcátara (you pass near it)
• Detour towards Ronda - A376 for 65.4 km
• A372

By car from Jerez:

• Exit Jerez de la Frontera and turn left A-382
• Jedula
• Arcos de la Frontera
• Turn right A-372
• Venta Mariquita
• El Bosque
• You have arrived to Grazalema

Distances

To Cádiz 114 km
To Ronda 32 km
To Ubrique 26 km
To Sevilla 115 km
To Olvera 41 km
To El Bosque 19 km
To Algodonales 26 km
To Villamartín 39 km
To Zahara de la Sierra