Frigiliana (3,000 inhabitants) is a small village located just behind Nerja in the Axarquia district (Malga) at an altitude of about 400 meters on the other side of the highway. Really recommended for a visit! It is one of the best-preserved Moorish towns in all of Andalusia and dates back to 1767. It is situated on a hill (a lot of climbing) and the small old centre with its picturesque, winding streets has been beautifully renovated. Despite the fact that the village attracts quite a lot of tourists, time seems to have stood still here. Every evening all the old men gather in the village square and the black-clad women go to church together every day.
Inhoud
The white village
In the village square you can eat well, but for the really nice restaurants you have to be even higher in the village and they immediately offer a great view over the whitewashed village, with Nerja and the coast in the background. By the way, in Frigiliana you will find a number of nice furniture and accessory stores with, among other things, ceramics and wood carvings. And of course you can taste wine and sherry.
Nature of Frigiliana
from Torrox mountains
Frigiliana has its own waterfall, the river ‘Rio Chillar‘ flows into Nerja a few kilometres later. Nowadays you can also take a tour with a tourist train and the driver will tell you all about the history of the village and the adjacent 30 km large nature reserve ‘Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama‘ where you can walk.
Ruta del Sol & Vino
The village is part of the ‘Sun and Wine route’ (Ruta del Sol y Vino) and is also famous for its ‘miel de caña’. This is sugar cane syrup, delicious with fried eggplant. So no honey! The sweet treat even has its own holiday at the end of April: dia del miel de caña.
You can park at the bottom of the village or in the parking garage under the market area. Frigiliana has a new part (at the fork at the bottom of the village to the right). Fortunately, this exists in exactly the same style. The old part is a little further up the mountain.
If you can’t get enough of the scenic view, you can also take the winding road to Torrox Pueblo at the top of the village. The road to the wine village of Competa at the back is somewhat ‘adventurous’. If you want to go here, it is best to drive via Torrox Pueblo.
Incidentally, until recently, annual bull runs were also held in Frigiliana on the morning before the feria. However, due to social pressure, this event was replaced by an ‘autos locos’ (crazy cart race) or foam festival.
El Acebuchal
About 7 kilometres above Frigiliana is the beautiful 17th-century hamlet of El Acebuchal, which has been completely renovated in recent years. Remains were been found from the Iberian era of 1000 years BC. Many artistic people are attracted to this beautiful mini-village. It is also an ideal place for outdoor activities during the holidays such as hiking, cycling and horse riding. In fact the pine forest ‘Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama‘ completely surrounds El Acebuchal. The most popular route is the one to El Fuerte. There are only 1 or 2 restaurants in El Acebuchal, so don´t forget your reservation!
Celebrations in Frigiliana
Famous festivals in Frigiliana include San Sebastian in January and the Festival de tres Culturas (Christians, Moors and Jews) in August. Very busy, but an absolute must. A truly atmospheric, beautiful and original event with lots of entertainment, nice stalls and good food!
More information
- Archaeological museum
- Viewpoint Castle of Lizar
- The market is on Thursday morning (until 2:00 pm).
- Taxi tel. 952 533 331
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