It is located on the edge of the plain formed after the drying of the Padul lagoon, to the left of the river that leaves it behind and to the right of Dúrcal. Villamena arose in 1973 from the union of the towns of Cónchar and Cozvíjar, taking this last one the capital of the district.
Of Cozvíjar, in addition to its urban core, that responds without a doubt to the nobility of its estate, the Caves of the Arroyo de la Laguna stands out. This is the place which gave exit to the millenarian waters of the old Padul lagoon for its drying in 1779.
About Cónchar, special mention deserves the so called Fuente que Rie, a spring of thermal waters located about 200 meters away from the town centre in the direction of the river and to which it can only be accessed on foot. Of this population it is also very popular the Celebration of the Mosto, an old tradition with which the entrance of the new year is received. Here, villagers and visitors are invited, between music, dances and fireworks, to the free tasting of the wine.
The City council of Villamena formed in 1973 by the union of the wine producer Cónchar and the noble Cozvíjar, both of Islamic origin, time at which they were mainly dedicated to agriculture. This was a shining stage for the cultivations of the region, since it had a sophisticated irrigation system known as “turno y tanda”, a way to distribute the water based on the cultivated surface of each owner.
With the expulsion of the Moorish it lost its agricultural apogee, since the new settlers did not know the effective and modern techniques that the Arabs had used to work the land. Nowadays, Villamena continues living of the agriculture.
The district owes its name to the old estate of the count of Villamena de Cozvíjar, that although it had the power to put and to dismiss the governor of the region, he was not the territorial owner of the villa.
In its hotels it is possible to taste the migas, remojón, pots and stews, next to a wide range of tapas, without forgetting the wine of the region. Its desserts with almonds and sweets of Arab tradition, like twisted rolls and the pestiños, stand out.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
