Voted the 'prettiest village in Andalucía' by the Spanish tourism authority, Frigiliana is also important from an historical viewpoint. El Fuerte, the hill that climbs above the village (and which is the destination of one of our walks), was the scene of the final bloody defeat of the Moors of La Axarquía in their 1569 rebellion.
The village is a tangle of narrow cobbled streets lined by whitewashed houses, their wrought-iron balconies filled with planters of brilliant red geraniums. Small plazas provide shady seating while the village bars are popular with visitors who come here to taste the locally produced wine. There are also several excellent shops selling pottery and ceramics, including decorative plates with their distinctive Arab design.
Many of the best walks around Frigiliana head north or east, into wild country, although we also list some that take the opportunity to explore the area down below the village, to the south.
In addition to taking one or more of the lovely walks around Frigiliana, you will almost certainly want to stop off here for a meal or drink at some stage. Whilst here you couldn't do better than to explore the village itself, and to this end we have prepared our own extensive Guide to Frigiliana.
In particular this takes you on a carefully devised tour of the village, beginning at the old El Ingenio sugar factory, and following the series of plaques mentioned above, in chronological order, diverting at points to see other features of interest.
Arroyo de los Bancales 6 km Self-guided
An entirely circular walk, this descends from the ring road around the base of the old village, down into the countryside below, eventually circling back up to the old village once more. Once you leave the main road you are immediately into pure campo terrain, the route involving a pretty steep, in places, decent down into the valley, followed by an equally steep return. A very pleasant walk, mainly on drivable (or cycleable) country roads.
Venta de Frigiliana 9 km Self-guided
This walk takes you on a somewhat longer route through the rolling countryside to the north west of Frigiliana, and it can also be extended still further by taking the return route followed by the Loma de la Cruz walk described below. The Venta de Frigiliana itself is a restauarant where you could choose to stop off for a meal or drink break. Again the route can also be undertaken by bike.
Loma de la Cruz 8.5 km Self-guided
This is a further trek in the rich walking area to the north west of Frigiliana, taking you along an interesting ridge that used to be known as the Loma de la Cruz pathway, before it became a concrete road. However this does mean that, once again, this route is readily undertaken by bike. Around about half way it joins up with the Arroyo de los Bancales route (see above), taking you onto the main road up from La Molineta to Frigiliana.
El Acebuchal 14 km Guided
Along with many other rural communities, the village of Acebuchal became inextricably caught up in the conflict between the Franco regime and the surviving Republican guerrillas, following Spain’s catastrophic Civil War which took place in the late 1930s. It then became abandoned and fell into ruin. Now, fully restored, and housing an amazing restaurant, it is an iconic destination for walkers in the area.
Frigiliana to Nerja (7 - 9 km self guided
Legend has it that there used to be nine separate walking routes between Nerja and Frigiliana, and we ourselves have still been able to identify three such (and have created two further of our own). Hence, in principle, you could take any one of these routes out to Frigiliana, enjoy lunch in one of its delightful cafes and restaurants, and then return via a different route, giving a total of twenty (!) alternative ‘there-and-back’ combinations.
Walks Around Frigiliana
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