Villamena is located at the edge of the plain that is actually the dried-up Laguna de Padul, to the left of the river flowing from the lagoon and to the right of Dúrcal. Villamena was created in 1973 when it was joined together with Cozvíjar and Cónchar, with Cozvíjar as the head of these three towns.
Cozvíjar is one of the towns that make up the municipality of Villamena. The elegant town centre and the Cuevas de Arroyo de la Laguna are very interesting. The waters of the ancient Laguna de Padul flowed from here until it dried up in 1779.
In Cónchar the Fuente Que Ríe deserves a special mention: it is a hot spring located about 200 metres from the town towards the river and can only be accessed on foot. This town hosts the very popular Fiesta del Mosto, an old traditional festival that welcomes the New Year. Both residents and visitors are invited to participate and it includes music, dancing, fireworks and wine tasting.
The municipality of Villamena was formed in 1973 when Cónchar and Cozvíjar, both of Islamic origin, merged. In the Arab period, these three towns were primarily focused on agriculture. This was a prosperous area for growing crops because it has a sophisticated irrigation system known as ‘turno y tanda’, a clever way designed to distribute the water across each plot of land.
With the expulsion of the Moors its agricultural output dropped, because the new settlers were not familiar with the effective and modern techniques that the Arabs had used to cultivate the land. Today, Villamena continues relying on its agricultural industry.
The town is named after the Conde de Villamena de Cozvíjar, who had the power to appoint and remove the local governor, although he did not own any parts of the town.
You can try the local Migas, Remojón, Potajes, Ollas and Pucheros as well as the locally produced wine. Desserts mainly contain almonds and are inspired by Arabic pastries, such as doughnuts and Pestiños.
