Sedella

About Sedella

Sedella stands at about 700 metres below the Sierra de Tejeda, inside the natural park, with La Maroma, at 2,066 metres the highest peak in Málaga province, behind it and the Axarquía falling to the sea in front. After 1487 it was the lordship of Diego Fernández de Córdoba, who swapped it in 1512 for Comares, creating the Marquesado de Comares. About 600 people live here.

The Casa Torreón, the old lords' house, has a Mudéjar tower opened by paired arches on Renaissance columns, with Morisco-style sgraffito. The church of San Andrés has a 16th-century tower of two square stages and an octagonal top under a pyramid spire. The Ermita de la Virgen de la Esperanza stands on remains of the Moorish castle; look also for the washhouses and a small old bridge.

Sedella is 59 km from Málaga, about 70 minutes by car via the A-7 and Vélez-Málaga, the last stretch on narrow mountain roads. Park on the road at the entrance. Allow an hour, or a day with a mountain walk. The lanes slope and have steps, so it is not suitable for wheelchairs. It suits walkers, birdwatchers and anyone wanting a quiet base.

Spring and autumn are best; winter often brings snow to the summit. The Virgen de la Esperanza feria is on the first weekend of August, residents build street altars for Corpus Christi, and San Antón falls near 17 January. Try chivo al ajillo, migas, choto al vino and roscos tontos. The GR-249 Gran Senda passes through.

Sedella 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

Across the ravine, Salares (1 km) has an Almohad minaret and a single-arched medieval bridge. Canillas de Aceituno (4 km) is the start of the signed trail to the summit of La Maroma and of the walk to the El Saltillo suspension bridge over the Almanchares gorge. Canillas de Albaida (5 km) sits in the Turvilla valley to the east. Down at the coast, the MVVEL Museum of Vélez-Málaga (10 km) covers the history of the district, and over the sierra in Granada province the Tajos de Alhama (16 km) gorge lies beneath the town of Alhama de Granada.