Arenas: Festivals, Hilly Landscape and Mudéjar Culture

The town centre of Arenas lies among hills covered with almond trees, olive groves, vineyards and pine forests.

When booking a holiday apartment in Arenas, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered separately. This keeps both levels distinct when planning a trip to Arenas.

Landscape and Townscape

At the entrance to Arenas stands a ceramic mural by the artist Virgilio González. Also located there is an old olive mill building with drainage openings in the wall that resemble a fountain. The upper citadel of the Castillo de Bentomiz preserves remains of battlemented walls, four towers and two vaulted cisterns. The townscape thus combines artistic design, historic economic buildings and fortification architecture.

Festivals and Local Traditions

The Feria de la Mula de Arenas takes place on 12 October, honours the mule and serves to revive agricultural traditions. It includes mule shows, load-carrying, threshing and shoeing competitions, traditional music, typical dishes and local Muscat wine.

The festival of San Sebastián in Arenas takes place on 12 August and is moved to the second weekend of August. At the Cooperativa Agrícola de Aceite Santa Catalina Mártir, visitors can tour the oil factory and purchase a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. The festival dates and the offerings around the oil factory provide different ways of discovering local customs and products.

Routes and Views

Alquiler de caballos San Roca offers horse rides in the surroundings of Arenas and the Castillo de Bentomiz. The Arenas–Daimalos 3 Fuentes Árabes route is described as a hike from Arenas to Daimalos that visits three fountains. It starts in Calle Calvario in Arenas.

The two routes differ in their described form: Alquiler de caballos San Roca focuses on horse rides in the surroundings of Arenas and the Castillo de Bentomiz. The Arenas–Daimalos 3 Fuentes Árabes route, by contrast, is presented as a hike with three fountains. Horse riding and hiking therefore remain separate options for planning the day.

Above the wall there is a shaded resting place. From here, Andalusian vernacular architecture with whitewashed houses and tiled roofs can be observed along winding yet steep streets.

Architectural History

The minaret tower in Daimalos has a square ground plan, four sections of different heights, blind horseshoe arches and a Mudéjar top with bell openings. It is considered one of the oldest in Spain.

The Iglesia de Santa Catalina Mártir was originally a mosque and remained so until 1505; it preserves its brick minaret tower and its Mudéjar structure. A legend says that drinking the water from the spring there brings love.

The Rábita o Morabito de la Fuente Grande is dated to between the 11th and 12th centuries.

Other Places

Other places in the same selection are Colmenar, Manilva, Bermejo, Canillas De Albaida, Guadalmina, Riogordo, Alfarnate and Moclinejo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.