Discover Belicena: Churches, Festivals and the Vega Cultural Landscape

Belicena combines the cultural landscape of the Vega de Granada with distinctive traces of local religious and everyday history. The Church of Belicena, the oldest of the municipality’s three churches, is dedicated to Saint Sebastian and was built on the former site of a mosque. The Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia de Belicena has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave divided into four sections by pointed arches. Among the oldest works of art there are San Sebastiano, San Marcos and Cristo de la Misericordia.

Culture and History

The sacred buildings and works of art give the town’s history a tangible form. At the same time, Belicena’s historical references can be combined with vibrant traditions that become visible on specific days throughout the year.

Festivals and Traditions

The Fiestas de San Marcos are celebrated on 25 April as the local patron saint’s festival, with a fair held in the Belicena district. On 2 January, Belicena celebrates the Día de la Toma together with the Día de la Merendica. Families meet at natural sites and/or in tobacco-drying sheds for a shared day with lunch.

Landscape

The landscape can also be explored through specific places and their history of use. Parque Huerta del Pilar in the Belicena district is the oldest and largest park in the municipality of Vegas del Genil. In the outdoor area of the Centro de Interpretación de la Vega (CIV), visitors can learn about the seasonal crops characteristic of the Vega de Granada and the techniques used to grow them. The Centro de Interpretación de la Vega (CIV) is located in a former tobacco-drying shed dating from 1953.

This gives you several thematic ways to explore the area. Architecture, art, festival dates, green spaces, agriculture and routes can be given different levels of priority when planning your own trip, without any fixed order being prescribed.

When comparing holiday apartments in Belicena, you can first compare your travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the respective accommodation page. You can also connect the question of whether you would prefer to focus on culture, festivals, parks, agriculture or routes with your own travel plans.

Other destinations: Purchil, Polopos, Dílar, Quéntar, Jayena, Zafarraya, Moraleda De Zafayona, Benalúa De Guadix

Routes

The Ruta de las Alquerías runs through the municipality and along paths through the Vega. It showcases historical, natural, rural and traditional heritage, including cortijos, caseríos and tobacco-drying sheds. The La Gallina route runs through Belicena. The Ruta del Corazón de la Vega is a circular route that begins in Belicena at the Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia, passes through irrigation channels, historic cortijos and agricultural landscapes, and ends at this church.

For the broader travel overview: Granada.