Benaque best things to see and do

Visit Benaque and its incredible church

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In this article you will find the essential information for visiting Benaque:

• A few words about Benaque
• What to see in Benaque?
• What to do around Benaque,
  • activities
  • guided tours
  • ferias and fiestas
• Where is Benaque?
• Book an accommodation
• Some useful links
• Experiences to discover in the province of Málaga

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A few words about Benaque

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Benaque is a hamlet of 200 inhabitants attached to Macharaviaya.

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 The village is located in Axarquia in the province of Malaga.. It is a lovely little white village that has kept its authenticity.

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What to see in Benaque?

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The church of Nuestra Sra de la Encarnacion

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This village, Benaque, has in my opinion a wonder, the church Nuestra Sra de la Encarnacion.

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Benaque has a treasure: its church.

In fact, we’re not even looking for it, as it’s disproportionately large for the locality.

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This church is the subject of much debate among historians as to whether it was once a mosque.
Indeed, there are several aspects that suggest it was: a side entrance, very few windows and an orientation towards the Kaaba.

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However, there is no trace of the qibla or the location of a mihrab.

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But what is certain are the paintings on the walls, dated to the late 1400s and early 1500s.

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The paintings represent the 14 Via Crucis stages and a scene from heaven and hell.

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I’ve sincerely never seen a Jesus painted in this way, it has a very surprising beatnick feel to it.

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NB: the Mudejars are the Moors who, after the reconquest by the Catholic kings, gave their allegiance to the Spanish crown, with the permission to keep their religion and customs. The Mudejar style is known as the Mudéjar style, because the Catholic kings “asked” the Mudéjars to transform the mosques into churches. These churches were built with the techniques and styles that the Mudejars knew.

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I was lucky enough to be able to visit this church during the annual poetry day held in the church. The day also includes singing. Below, Paco de los Verdiales:

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The house of the poet Salvador Rueda

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Salvador Rueda, Spanish poet and journalist, was born in this village in 1857. He is considered the father of modernism in Spanish literature and the author of many poems.

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I have a fondness for his poems about Andalusia, Málaga and the Costa del Sol (which did not yet have that name in his time).

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Here are 2 extracts from his poems:

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«Esa es Málaga la bella,
paraíso en que nací;
entre sus luces viví;
y mi ser formose en ella».

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«Sobre el paisaje alegre, lleno de luz dorada,
la atmósfera se extiende, como un inmenso tul,
y Málaga parece una ciudad bordada,
con torres y alminares, sobre la mar azul».

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Salvador Rueda also wrote a magnificent text about Torre del Mar:

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On the walls of a house in Benaque…

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On the right wall of the house :

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Right next to Benaque: Macharaviaya

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Macharaviaya is one of the few villages that have an absolutely incredible history. Below is a photo of the old royal card factory.

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In the following link you will find all the information about the incredible village of Macharaviaya.

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What to do around Benaque

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Activities

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• horse riding, on the beach or in the mountains
• diving in Nerja and Torrox
• guided tours (villages of Axarquia, Cordoba, Alhambra,…)
• Zafarraya via ferrata
• hiking (El Saltillo with the hanging bridge,…)
• canyoning (in the rio Verde,…)
• astrotourism
• snorkeling
• visit to the Nerja cave

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Use the following link to access all the activities to do. during your holidays. This link provides you with all the details of each activity.

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Guided tours

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A very good local guide, Cipriano, offers thematic and seasonal guided tours of the villages of Axarquía.

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For example, Cipriano organises the Comares Tour from Nerja. Comares is a must-see village.

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The guided tours are always done in small groups (2 to 8 people max.) to discover the authentic Axarquia.

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In the following link you will find all the details and prices of the tours he offers.

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The themes of the tours are: the white villages of Axarquia, the wine route, the raisin route, ….

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Here are all the guided tours from Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar.

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The fiestas and ferias of the village

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Certamen de Pastorales, in December:

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Benaque Fair, in September

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Where is Benaque?

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Book accommodation around the village

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Please enter the desired dates to check availability.

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Booking.com

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Some useful links (car hire, ideas for visits)

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Easy and economical bookings

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• your flight

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• taxi transfer

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• hire car

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• train and bus tickets

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If you are in Andalucia as part of a tour with several major cities to visit, here are some links that may be of interest:

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Seville

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Seville, the capital of Andalucia, is a city full of treasures to discover and monuments to visit.

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Here you will find everything you can see in Seville in 3 days. And for those who will stay longer you will also find information on secret Seville and the Santa Cruz and Triana districts.

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Cadiz

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Visit Cadiz, a city with an incredible past and great beauty, on the Costa del la Luz.

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Malaga

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When you reach the Costa del Sol you will find in this link all must-sees in Malaga :

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Granada

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Discover what to see in Granada, and visit the Albaicin and Sacromonte districts:

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Cordoba

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And of course, visit Cordoba, the caliphate city, and the Juderia district

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Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga

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Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalucia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.

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Here is the link to receive our newsletter from the andaluciamia.com blog

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