Bélmez de la Moraleda

Between mountains, olive groves and the valley of the Jandulilla River, on the eastern side of Sierra Mágina, Bélmez de la Moraleda is a peaceful place where nature and mystery coexist in complete harmony. A large part of its municipal area forms part of the Sierra Mágina Natural Park, an environment of clean air, silence and contrasts where olive groves blend with ravines, springs and mountain slopes.

Bélmez is internationally known for one of the most intriguing phenomena of the 20th century: las Caras de Bélmez. A visit to the Centro de Interpretación de las Caras de Bélmez allows visitors to explore this event, which took place in the 1970s and still has no definitive explanation today. Very close by stands the house of María Gómez’s faces, the epicentre of the phenomenon and an essential stop for anyone fascinated by the unexplained and the so-called “Mágina mágica”.

The town’s position as a passageway between the present-day province of Granada and the Alto Guadalquivir through the valley of the Jandulilla River turned this area into a strategic location. Evidence of this can be found in the archaeological remains of the Recinto de Bélmez (Iberian) and Barranco de Hornillos Bajo, which confirms the presence of a Roman rural villa. Its strategic past is reflected in a remarkable defensive heritage. Among the olive groves rise the remains of the Castillo de Bélmez, together with other ancient watchpoints such as the Torre del Lucero, the disappeared yet legendary castle of Chincoya, mentioned in the Cantigas of Alfonso X el Sabio, the Castillejo del Cortijo de Neblín and the Castillejo de Aguas Amarguillas; both declared Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC).

The municipality’s connection with water can be seen in places such as the Fuente del Gargantón, whose waters have historically been used for irrigation, supply and old mills, and in the spectacular Barranco del Arroyo Gargantón, located a few kilometres from the town centre, with steep rocky walls and rich birdlife.

For lovers of active nature and geology, Bélmez offers unique landscapes such as the caves of Chato y Baltibañas, of great geomorphological value and reserved for expert speleology, as well as trails running through ravines, springs and landscapes shaped over time.

Tradition also shapes the festive calendar. In summer, the Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos fill the town with colour and emotion through the representation of the Rescate del Cuadro del Señor de la Vida, one of the most symbolic and participatory events in the municipality. Another notable tradition is the Perrillo de San Marcos, an ancestral procession in which the figure of a bull is thrown into a well to ask for rain and good harvests.

Bélmez de la Moraleda invites visitors to walk among castles and ravines, run along trails and let their imagination wander through legends and silence; a corner of Sierra Mágina where mystery is not sought, it simply happens.