Los Guájares
Los Guajáres is comprised of three small villages: Guájar Faragüit, Guájar Fondón and Guájar Alto. The area is located in a small, beautiful subtropical valley, formed by the river Loba. Its name comes from an Arabic word for abrupt, steep and difficult to access, describing the mountain below which the villages are situated. Visitors will enjoy amazing landscapes in this unique natural environment.
History
Its first settlers were suggested to be Almohads who lived in farmhouses. With the re-conquest, the territory of this municipality was distributed by the Catholic Monarchs among some of their main lieutenants, Guájar Faragüit corresponding to Luis de Portocarrero and Guájar Fondón to Don Juan de Ulloa. During the War of the Alpujarras, one of its bloodiest episodes took place here, when the troops of the Marquis of Mondéjar went up the course of the River Loba with the order to plunge a sword through any Morisco they found in their path.
After the expulsion of the Moors and the subsequent repopulation with settlers from other regions, the farms that until then occupied the valley were reduced to the current three Guájares.
Things to see
Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua
The church was built on the site of an old mosque following the Mudejar style and after a fire it suffered during the Moorish revolts, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the seventeenth century. With a single nave, it has a beautiful coffered ceiling and an interesting neoclassical tabernacle. Located in Guájar Fondón.
Iglesia de San Lorenzo
A good example of the first Mudejar architecture carried out in the area after the re-conquest of Granada. It was built in place of an old mosque in the first third of the sixteenth century and was one of the few churches that was not affected by the Moorish war of 1568. Located in Guájar Faragüit.
Iglesia de la Encarnación
The church was built in the early part of the sixteenth century following the Mudejar style and had to be rebuilt after the Alhama earthquake at the end of the nineteenth century. On its main altar we can see a neo-Gothic altarpiece.
El Castillejo
The fortified town of El Castillejo is situated in the middle course of the River Loba valley, in front of the town of Guájar Faragüit and near the neighboring Guájar Fondón. A rural settlement of essentially residential character, with a chronology from the thirteenth to the fourteenth century (end of the Almohad world and beginning of the Nasrid era). A defensive structure delimits an oval space of about 120x130m oriented from West to East. It consists of four largely identical towers, with a quadrangular or trapezoidal plan, of which only those at the northwest and northeast corners remain complete. Additionally, there is an elongated, rectangular bastion, divided into two rooms of unequal proportions. The interior is occupied by numerous homes of diverse typology, but with similar characteristics. Outside the town, in front of the entrance, there are the remains of a canal and a pool, clearly related to the settlement. The abandonment of the town occurred hastily, as evidenced by the ceramics located.
On the outskirts of these three villages visitors should also try and see the network of old almohad acequias (irrigation channels), which are still used today for the irrigation and cultivation of crops.
Countryside walks
Los Guájares is an ideal area for hiking with several routes that take you through the mountains and valleys, and allow you to enjoy the beautiful nature of the region. Some of the most popular routes are the Route of the Millennial Olive Trees in Guájar Faragüit and the Water Route in Albuñuelas.
GASTRONOMY
Traditional cuisine in Los Guajáres includes dishes such as ensalada de tomates secados al sol (sun-dried tomato salad), migas (a dish made with breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil and other ingredients), choto en salsa (veal in sauce) and various stews. Also worth trying are the tasty homemade sausages.
Festivals
Popular festivals in Los Guájares are Día de la Candelaria, Fiestas Patronales, Día de la Cruz, Festival de la Miel and Semana Santa. More>
Bus Service
There is bus service from Los Guájares to Granada and Motril. More>.
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast for the next few days for Los Guájares. More>
Tourist Office
The tourist office of Los Guájares is located in the Town Hall. More>
Nearby Places
The neighbouring villages to Los Guájares are Vélez de Benaudalla and Lentegí.