Even the Mayor of Benamaurel became mesmerized by the place's natural charm, as he warns the visitors that they might get extremely captivated by the ancient Arabic influence during their visit.
Benamaurel is perfectly appealing with its historical cave dwelling, natural scenery, and local gastronomy. Indeed, a visit to Benamaurel is a great refuge for anyone who wishes to take a break from the busy modern world.
Country Life at its Finest
Benamaurel is a historic village. It is where the Cuesta Del Rio, Alhanda, and the San Antonio quarters are to be found. But do not think that you can find ancient cave dwellers these days, truth is; it may come as a surprise that many of the houses are modern homes and painted with prettiest colors and decorations you had ever seen. If however you really like to get in touch with history, take a stroll down to the El Fuerte where the remains of the ancient fortress wall are to be found.
Even the Town Hall is constructed with its neoclassical charisma. Also, the Church found within an Arabic Mosque provides an intriguing contrast. Either by foot, bike, or car, a stroll through the village is always a pleasure to behold. Benamaurel's panoramic view surpasses your desire for it bears the greenest valley and the freshest water found within River Guardal.
Blending with the Locals
Don't you wish you can just blend with the local and pretend to be living a carefree life like any other? Then, taking a stroll and eating Benamaurel's famous gastronomy should top your must-try list.
You can take different routes to explore the village and get a feel of how the locals actually live their life. One of the routes would be the Ruta de Los Molinos, which you can explore by foot or bike. You will see the ancient irrigation system dating back the Arabic times. From this point, you will see the Comacho Mill, the wool factory, and the rich collection of Almohade caves. When you go to the eastern side of these caves, there you'll see the ancient dovecote and the rich archaeological remains.
Now, cooking at Benamaurel is characterized by using homegrown ingredients. Because of the place's rich supply of wheat, olive oil, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and capers, these are usually the main ingredients found among their salads and stews. A must-try would be their 'pipirrana', a dish inspired by tomato and cucumber salad and often enhanced using fresh wild capers. Cold meats are exceptionally made, as they follow the traditional curing process which the cave people of the older days passed from generation to generation. Now, for anyone with a sweet tooth, their 'borrachuelos' during Easter should be perfect, this is a kind of rum baba.
True enough, Benamaurel got exactly the right combination of the past and the present world. No doubt, it is among the must-try destination of Spain.