Casarabonela

About Casarabonela

Casarabonela rises at about 514 metres on the southern slopes of the Sierra Prieta, above orange groves and the Guadalhorce valley. In al-Andalus the castle of Qasr Bunayra, first recorded in the 9th century; the village passed to Castile in 1485, and its Moriscos rose in 1568. About 2,800 people live here today.

The Barrio del Arrabal, below the castle, keeps the Andalusi plan of narrow, stepped lanes such as Baluarte and Muro. The church of Santiago Apóstol, a 16th-century Gothic-Renaissance building on the site of the mosque, has a small museum of church silver in the sacristy, shown on guided visits booked at the tourist office. Plaza de Buenavista, by the town hall, is a balcony over the valley, and the castle ruins are now a mirador with a Moorish-style garden at their foot.

Casarabonela is about 50 km from Málaga and its airport (50 minutes) via the A-357. Park on the main road below the old quarter; the upper quarter is steep and stepped, not suitable for wheelchairs. Allow two to three hours. Good for walkers.

Spring and autumn are best. La Pasión is staged at Easter, the Morisco revolt is re-enacted in late September, and the night procession of the Virgen de los Rondeles is held in December. Try pipeo, a vegetable stew, chivo a la pastoril, honey and roscos de vino. Tip: visit the cactus garden early in the day.

Casarabonela in pictures

What you’ll find

• Car parkParkingFree
• CastleCastle visitFree
• ChurchChurch visitFree
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Hiking trailHikingFree
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local craftsCraft shoppingBuy
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
• Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
• MuseumMuseum entryTicket
• Tourist officeVisitor informationFree
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

On the edge of the village, the Jardín Botánico Mora i Bravard grows some 11,000 cacti and succulents from deserts around the world. The Cueva de Ardales (11 km) has Palaeolithic paintings visited on booked tours, and Bobastro Church and Ruins (14 km) is the rock-cut church of the rebel Umar ibn Hafsun. The Caminito del Rey (15 km) runs along the gorge of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes. Down the valley, Álora (13 km) has a Moorish castle above the Guadalhorce, and Teba (23 km) the Castillo de la Estrella.