The visual power of the landscape and architecture of Montefrío seduce from the first moment. The first thing that makes an impression it is the imposing monumental set that forms the Arab fortress and the Church of the Villa, located in the top of a rock in an audacious architectonic show. The landscaping diversity of its surroundings adds to this; from the road that links Montefrío with Íllora you can access to the Peña de los Gitanos, natural place that closes by the north a wide valley, limited to the south by the Parapanda Mountain range. Las Peñas, rocky alignments parallel to the valley, offer a spectacular landscape of chalky nature, with abundant vegetation of oak forests and low mounts; ideal place for the practice of trekking, since there are many paths to wonder around this particular place, where you will find, in addition, a megalithic complex of first order, integrated by hundreds of dolmens of Neolithic origin.
The photogenic Montefrío is located in the northwest of the province, in the heart of the Montes Occidentales that form the central sector of the Béticas Massif, between the Parapanda and Chanzas mountain ranges. Its district has one of the most diverse and spectacular landscapes of the region, where the areas of steep vegetation resist along with the cultivated fields of cereals and olive trees.
The mountainous surroundings are ideal for walks and sports, in bike, horse riding, rock climbing, etc.
There are many archaeological rests that give faith of the existence of different settlements from the Half Neolithic period, in the 4500 b.C. The settlement of Castillejos corresponds to this time, located in the place known as La Peña de los Gitanos. In this archaeological station, recently restored, there are many megalithic tombs.
It was already rich in the antiquity: the Mons Frigus of the Latin’s, Montefrid of the Arabs, had to lay out a commercial route from Torre del Mar and Velez-Malaga, passing by Alhama and this place, towards the countryside and the Guadalquivir valley. The Nasrid king Ismail III was crowned here by the Abencerrajes, and here they remained seven years afraid to return to the Granada’s court, where Mohammed X reigned (1445-1453).The king Juan II helped Ismail and the Abencerrajes to surround Granada; the astute Mohammed called these last ones in embassy and he beheaded them in the today called Room of the Abencerrajes of the Alhambra. Ismail escaped to the Alpujarras where later he would become king of Granada with the name of Yusuf V. Montefrío would be taken by the Catholic Kings in 1486.
The weather, the grounds and the cultivated varieties – among which the picual, picuda and hojiblanca, along with some native ones are found, contribute to the exceptional quality of the extra virgin olive oil of Montefrío, whose olive groves are the main chapter of its agriculture. In addition to this rich vegetal fat and the homemade cheeses, that win prizes very often, the local cuisine has a traditional repertoire of tasty recipes, with dishes like choto with garlic, the filling of carnival, sesos al mojeteo, the stew, asparagus and collejas omelettes, the remojón - salad of roasted tomatoes and peppers, orange, onion, eggs and tuna -, and hornazos, without forgetting the specialties from the hunted meat, the delicatessen and the pastry making, with butter buns, with oil and raisins, frying pan twisted rolls, borrachuelos, cuajaos and pestiños.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
