Discover Mahora: Culture, Trails and Holiday Apartments

The 121 km Camino Natural del Río Valdemembra ends in Mahora. It runs from its source in Chumillas in the province of Cuenca to its mouth in Mahora in the province of Albacete.

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Culture

Wide streets, whitewashed façades with stone portals and traditional squares preserve Mahora’s historic town centre. The Iglesia de la Asunción is classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural) and combines Gothic, Neoclassical and Baroque-Rococo elements. The church houses a Hispano-Filipino ivory crucifix from the 17th century. The parish church of Santa María de la Asunción was probably built during the 16th century under the patronage of the Marquis of Villena; his coat of arms appears on the keystones of the vaults.

The town’s buildings include former residences of noble families from the 16th to the 18th century, with coats of arms on their façades. The building at Plaza de La Mancha 7 was probably a warehouse for collecting levies and presumably dates from the 16th or 17th century; today it houses the municipal administration. A local route leads to several cultural sights, and Mahora also has the Route of the Coats of Arms (Ruta de los Escudos).

The Ruta del Valle del Cabriel highlights the water tower in the square as a point of interest.

Nature and Trails

Online maps, elevation profiles and GPS tracks are available for the Camino Natural del Río Valdemembra, allowing hikers and cyclists to complete the route independently. Mahora has hiking and cycling routes along the Valdemembra; viewpoints along the rural paths look towards the Júcar Valley.

Charco Azul is a small area with riverside vegetation near the Barranco de La Hoz del Valdemembra. Near Bolinches, in the municipality of Mahora, Charco Azul joins the Júcar and forms one of the calmest and deepest stretches of water along this section of the river.

Festivals and Culinary Delights

The San Antón festival includes a pilgrimage to the countryside, an auction, a traditional pig slaughter and tastings of gachas and a muddy rice dish made from the slaughter. The patron-saint festivities honour the Virgen de Gracia on 15 August and Saint Roch (San Roque) on 16 August.

During Holy Week, processions take place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The most important day is Easter Sunday, with the Procession of the Encounter, during which the quintos present the Virgin with bouquets of flowers known as albicias. “Folías a la Virgen” is a traditional song from Mahora that is sung on the Saturday after 30 April.

Mahora’s winter cuisine includes Atascaburras, Gachas, Migas de Pastor, Ajoaceite and Tortilla de Harina. Local bars serve D.O. Manchuela wines, paired with traditional tapas, cheese and produce from the vegetable gardens.

Bodega Cantos offers guided tours of its facilities, wine tastings, tasting courses and gastronomic experiences. The winery preserves concrete amphorae and the original vertical press, which is no longer in use.

More destinations

For further planning, you can also view Ayna, Hellín, Minaya, Alcaraz, Tarazona De La Mancha, Fuensanta, Salobre and Corral-Rubio.

For the overview of destinations at the higher level: Albacete.