Nororma

Why visit Nororma

Nororma is the north-eastern corner of Málaga province, a group of six farming towns where the province borders Córdoba and Granada. Its landscape is one of rolling olive groves broken by limestone sierras, with the Genil river and the Iznájar reservoir marking its northern edge and the springs of the Guadalhorce rising near Villanueva del Trabuco. There are no big monuments or resorts here; instead you find tidy whitewashed squares, parish churches, olive oil mills and a slow, neighbourly rhythm of life. Little visited by tourists yet within an hour of both Málaga and Granada, it suits walkers, cyclists and travellers who want to see working rural Andalucía at close quarters.

Main attractions in Nororma

Cuevas de San Marcos sits below the caves of the Sierra del Camorro and looks out over the Iznájar reservoir, while Cuevas Bajas lies in the fertile valley of the Genil. In Villanueva del Trabuco, the Fuente de los Cien Caños pours from a long line of spouts near the source of the Guadalhorce, a favourite spot for a picnic. Villanueva del Rosario is a starting point for hikes into the Sierra de Camarolos, and stages of the Gran Senda de Málaga link several of the villages on foot or by mountain bike, and quiet country roads suit road cyclists. Villanueva de Algaidas has a long tradition of distilling anís, and across the comarca you can taste extra virgin olive oil, porra, chacinas from the winter matanza and the dishes served at summer village fairs.