Benaque best things to see and do

Macharaviaya's hamlet

Visit Benaque and its incredible church


Benaque casa
delante una casa en Benaque

In this article you will find the essential information for visiting Benaque:

  • A few words about Benaque
  • What to see in Benaque?
  • What to do around Benaque,
    • activities
    • guided tours
    • ferias and fiestas
  • Where is Benaque?
  • Book an accommodation
  • Some useful links
  • Experiences to discover in the province of Málaga

benaque vista
vista desde Benaque

A few words about Benaque


Benaque is a hamlet of 200 inhabitants attached to Macharaviaya.


 The village is located in Axarquia in the province of Malaga.. It is a lovely little white village that has kept its authenticity.


What to see in Benaque?


The church of Nuestra Sra de la Encarnacion


This village, Benaque, has in my opinion a treasure, the church Nuestra Sra de la Encarnacion.


Eglise Ntr Sra de la Encarnacion à Benaque
Ntra Sra de la Encarnacion

This church was built over the old mosque from the Al-Andalus period. On the spot, you have the feeling that the church occupies half the surface of the hamlet. This is very impressive.


The old minaret can still be easily seen today, on which the church tower can be seen today.

Moreover, the church was built in the purest Mudejar style: this can be seen in the sobriety of the church’s facades (and in the interior, with a very specific style of roofing).


benaque iglesia Encarnacion 2
fachada mudejar de la iglesia

NB: the Mudejars are the Moors who, after the reconquest by the Catholic kings, gave their allegiance to the Spanish crown, with the permission to keep their religion and customs. The Mudejar style is known as the Mudéjar style, because the Catholic kings “asked” the Mudéjars to transform the mosques into churches. These churches were built with the techniques and styles that the Mudejars knew.


The house of the poet Salvador Rueda


Salvador Rueda casa benaque 2

Salvador Rueda, Spanish poet and journalist, was born in this village in 1857. He is considered the father of modernism in Spanish literature and the author of many poems.


Maison de Salvador Rueda à Benaque
House of Salvador Rueda in Benaque

I have a fondness for his poems about Andalusia, Málaga and the Costa del Sol (which did not yet have that name in his time).


Here are 2 extracts from his poems:


«Esa es Málaga la bella,
paraíso en que nací;
entre sus luces viví;
y mi ser formose en ella
».


«Sobre el paisaje alegre, lleno de luz dorada,
la atmósfera se extiende, como un inmenso tul,
y Málaga parece una ciudad bordada,
con torres y alminares, sobre la mar azul
».


Salvador Rueda also wrote a magnificent text about Torre del Mar:


torre-del-mar-poema-salvador-rueda

On the walls of a house in Benaque…


Benaque casa 2

On the right wall of the house :


benaque Rueda homenaje
Tribute to S. Rueda

Right next to Benaque: Macharaviaya


Macharaviaya is one of the few villages that have an absolutely incredible history. Below is a photo of the old royal card factory.


Macharaviaya fabrica naipes
antigua fabrica de naipes

In the following link you will find all the information about the incredible village of Macharaviaya.


What to do around Benaque


Activities


Randonnée Costa del Sol à Competa rio Patamalara
Hiking Trail in Rio Patamalara

  • horse riding, on the beach or in the mountains
  • diving in Nerja and Torrox
  • guided tours (villages of Axarquia, Cordoba, Alhambra,…)
  • Zafarraya via ferrata
  • hiking (El Saltillo with the hanging bridge,…)
  • canyoning (in the rio Verde,…)
  • astrotourism
  • snorkeling
  • visit to the Nerja cave

Use the following link to access all the activities to do. during your holidays. This link provides you with all the details of each activity.


Guided tours


A very good local guide, Cipriano, offers thematic and seasonal guided tours of the villages of Axarquía.


local guide andalucia

For example, Cipriano organises the Comares Tour from Nerja. Comares is a must-see village.


comares-que-ver-arcos-arabes
Comares

The guided tours are always done in small groups (2 to 8 people max.) to discover the authentic Axarquia.


In the following link you will find all the details and prices of the tours he offers.


The themes of the tours are: the white villages of Axarquia, the wine route, the raisin route, ….


Here are all the guided tours from Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar.


The fiestas and ferias of the village


Certamen de Pastorales, in December:



Benaque Fair, in September


Where is Benaque?



Book accommodation around the village


Please enter the desired dates to check availability.


Booking.com

Some useful links (car hire, ideas for visits)


Easy and economical bookings






If you are in Andalucia as part of a tour with several major cities to visit, here are some links that may be of interest:


Seville


Seville, the capital of Andalucia, is a city full of treasures to discover and monuments to visit.


visita-sevilla-dias-catedral-puerta-del-perdon
Door of Forgiveness – Seville Cathedral

Here you will find everything you can see in Seville in 3 days. And for those who will stay longer you will also find information on secret Seville and the Santa Cruz and Triana districts.


Cadiz


cadix cadiz cathedrale catedral cathedral cattedrale

Visit Cadiz, a city with an incredible past and great beauty, on the Costa del la Luz.


Malaga


When you reach the Costa del Sol you will find in this link all must-sees in Malaga :


visiter-malaga-art-de-rue-place-juderia-proche-musee-picasso
Street art next to the Picasso Museum Malaga

Granada


Discover what to see in Granada, and visit the Albaicin and Sacromonte districts:


sacromonte-in-granada-view-on-alhambra-2

Cordoba


And of course, visit Cordoba, the caliphate city, and the Juderia district


visiter-cordoue-facade-sculptee-de-la-mosquee-cathedrale

Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga



Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalucia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.


Here is the link to receive our newsletter from the andaluciamia.com blog


The latest articles on Andalucia


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