Villaluenga del Rosario
Villaluenga del Rosario is the highest village in Cádiz province, at about 858 metres in the Sierra de Grazalema, known for payoyo goat's cheese and an 18th-century polygonal bullring.
About Villaluenga del Rosario
Villaluenga lies at about 858 metres at the head of a long limestone valley, the Manga de Villaluenga, below grey cliffs. Caves nearby were used from the Palaeolithic, but the village grew up in Moorish times and passed to Castile with its neighbours in 1485. Its caves and chasms draw potholers. About 460 people live here, the smallest population in the province.
The bullring, said to be the oldest in the province, dates from the 18th century and is polygonal rather than round, with tiers of local stone. In the upper village the cemetery occupies the roofless Iglesia del Salvador of 1722, burned during the War of Independence. The parish church of San Miguel, the town hall and the Fuente del Acueducto stand nearby.
Villaluenga is 36 km (45 minutes) from Ronda, 87 km (1 hour 30 minutes) from Jerez and 131 km (2 hours) from Seville. Park on the main road at the village entrance. The village is small but very steep, with stepped lanes, so it is hard going for wheelchairs. Allow one to two hours, more with a walk on the Llanos del Republicano. It suits walkers, cavers and food lovers.
Spring and autumn are best; winter can bring frost and fog. The Feria del Queso Artesanal de Andalucía fills the village for a weekend in April. Buy payoyo cheese, made from the milk of the local payoya goats and merino sheep, from the village dairies. Tip: walk up to the cemetery for the view over the roofs and the valley.
Villaluenga del Rosario in pictures
What you’ll find
- Car parkParkingFree
- ChurchChurch visitFree
- FestivalAnnual festivalFree
- Hiking trailHikingFree
- Historic centreOld town walkFree
- Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
- ViewpointSightseeingFree
Nearby places to visit
Benaocaz (3 km), with its Nasrid quarter, and the fault cleft of Salto del Cabrero (3 km) lie just down the valley, and Ubrique (6 km) beyond is known for its leatherwork. Grazalema (7 km), over the Puerto del Boyar, is the main walking base of the natural park. Across the Málaga border, Cueva de la Pileta (10 km) near Benaoján has Palaeolithic paintings shown on small guided visits, and the gorge of Cañón de las Buitreras (17 km) cuts through the hills of the Guadiaro valley.
Villaluenga del Rosario at a glance
Category
Culture White villages
Location
Sierra de Cádiz, Cádiz
Town
Villaluenga del Rosario
Address
Plaza de la Alameda, 11611 Villaluenga del Rosario, Cádiz, Spain
Opening hours
Open access; the streets, the bullring exterior and the cemetery viewpoint can be visited at any time.
Prices
Free to walk around; no paid monuments.
Website
villaluengadelrosario.es
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Villaluenga del Rosario, nearest first.
