This publication has been made under the Development Plan to Promote Tourism in the Serrania de Ronda, is bilingual (English and Spanish), and includes at the back a description and a map of the urban routes of the Serrania de Ronda.

The current organization of Benalauria owns its origin to the Berber colonization in the first third of the 8th century. The first settlers in the region were the Banu-l-Hawariya Berber tribe, from whom the town gets its name. Benalaurîa was part of the Cora or Takurunna province and, after the 14th century, of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. After the Christian conquest and the subsequent expulsion of the Moriscos (converted Muslims) from 1570 onwards, Benalaurîa became depopulated as the rest of the towns of the valley; People from the Guadalquivir valley and Sierra Morena came to repopulate these areas. From this moment until the Independence War (1808-1814), the town experienced a relatively calm period. The War and the phylloxera plague marked the beginning of a period of decreasing and depopulation.

Recommended Walk:

The route starts in the viewpoint located in Calvario Street, by where you will access to the Teniente Viñas Square. There, you will find the Town Hall and other stately houses from the 18th century as well as La Fuente (the fountain) and La Fuentecilla (the small fountain). This square is the scene of the most popular festive event in the town, the Moors and the Christians, which takes place on the first Sunday in August. Then, continue on by Alta Street until the Ethnographic Museum; After that, carry on by El Fresnillo Square and the fountain with the same name. From this position, start going down to end at the Santo Domingo Church.

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