Benaocaz
Benaocaz is a small white village at 793 metres in the Sierra de Grazalema, whose Barrio Nazarí keeps the street plan of a Muslim settlement that stayed under Granada until 1485.
About Benaocaz
Benaocaz sits at 793 metres on a shelf below the limestone Sierra del Endrinal, looking down the valley towards Ubrique. Of Moorish foundation, it stayed under Nasrid rule with its neighbours until Rodrigo Ponce de León took it in 1485. Benaocaz has been a Conjunto Histórico since 1985 and has about 740 inhabitants.
The Barrio Nazarí, the oldest quarter, keeps its Nasrid street plan, cobbles and the ruins of old houses. The Renaissance church of San Pedro stands on a mosque, and the base of its tower is said to be the old minaret. The 18th-century town hall has two arcaded storeys, the Ermita de San Blas dates from 1716 and the baroque Fuente Allá combines a fountain with a stepped animal trough.
Benaocaz is 42 km (55 minutes) from Ronda, 81 km (1 hour 25 minutes) from Jerez and 121 km (2 hours) from Seville. Parking is easy near Plaza de las Libertades. The village is small but hilly, with cobbled lanes that are hard going for wheelchairs. Allow an hour or two, or half a day with the Calzada Romana down to Ubrique. It suits walkers and lovers of quiet villages.
Come in spring, when the sierra is green, or in autumn; summer days are hot but evenings are cool. The fiesta of San Blas, the co-patron, falls on 3 February. Look for payoyo goat's cheese, honey and chacinas from the sierra. Tip: walk out to the Ermita del Calvario for the view back over the village and the valley.
Benaocaz in pictures
What you’ll find
- Car parkParkingFree
- ChurchChurch visitFree
- FestivalAnnual festivalFree
- Hiking trailHikingFree
- Historic centreOld town walkFree
- Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
- Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
- ViewpointSightseeingFree
Nearby places to visit
The Salto del Cabrero, a fault cleft with walls over 80 metres high, is reached on a signed trail from the edge of the village. Downhill, Ubrique (3 km), the leather town of the sierra, is linked by the Calzada Romana. Up the valley, Villaluenga del Rosario (3 km) has an 18th-century polygonal bullring and payoyo cheese, and Grazalema (8 km) lies over the Puerto del Boyar pass. The gorge of Garganta Verde (12 km), with its griffon vultures, needs a free permit from the El Bosque visitor centre.
Benaocaz at a glance
Category
Culture White villages
Location
Sierra de Cádiz, Cádiz
Town
Benaocaz
Address
Plaza de las Libertades, 11612 Benaocaz, Cádiz, Spain
Opening hours
Open access; the streets and the Barrio Nazarí can be visited at any time. The church of San Pedro opens for Mass (Saturday 19:00).
Prices
Free to walk around; no paid monuments.
Website
benaocaz.es
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Benaocaz, nearest first.
