This festival has been declared to be of Tourist Interest by the Provincial Council of Málaga.
Please check with the local Town Hall or Municipal Tourism Office for the festival date before planning any sightseeing activities.

Cartajima is located on the Alto del Genal in Serranía de Ronda, sitting on an 846-metre high vantage point. Its land shows a landscape with the sharp contrasts that the Sierra del Oreganal offers to the north, along with mountains covered in chestnut, oak and cork oak forests to the south. Both the town's location and the road running along the slope of the Oreganal mountain range allow you to enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the highlands and in particular the Genal Valley.

Except for some remarkable information and some legends like that of the rich Moorish lady, there are no records to reconstruct Cartajima's history. Its past, however, should have been closely related to the Arab presence and the ups and downs that took place in all the villages in the area during the Reconquest, the expulsion of the Moorish and the Christian repopulation. Historical brush-strokes aside, Cartajima has a truly unique Holy Week with a centuries-old traditional reenactment of an encounter of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.

In the early morning of Resurrection Sunday, some locals recreate a garden in the town streets. Meanwhile, others go to the Genal River to get a black poplar that will be placed on the stage for the burning of “Judas” during the procession.

At 7 a.m., upon the bells ringing, the “Infant Jesus” is taken from the church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary) to the garden. He stays there until noon when the “Lady of the Rosary” leaves the church after the ringing of bells and walks to the street where his son is. He is then lifted to greet his mother, leading a very emotional moment when they both meet and perform a little dance called “Cortesías”. Following this encounter, the “Infant Jesus” in front and the “Virgin Mary” behind are paraded through the town, while Judas is hung and burned at the black poplar in the “garden”. The whole procession is accompanied by fireworks all the way to the church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, where the Holy Mass is celebrated. The church was initially built in the early 16th century and later underwent different renovations. It has a modest baroque entrance that is accessed through a staircase. Inside, there are some sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as an image of the virgin after whom the temple is named.