Grazalema is a small hilltop town in the Sierra de
Grazalema in the province of Cadiz. It is around 15 miles from
the town of Ronda and 25 miles from Arcos de la Frontera.
The pretty mountain village of Grazalema
is located in a high valley in the Sierra del Endrinal and is
a popular base for visitors to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural
Park. The park is a vast protected area of rugged limestone mountains,
which are famous for being the rainiest place in Spain accounting
for the verdant vegetation in the surrounding countryside. Grazalema
is a lively village with steep, cobbled streets lined with whitewashed
houses with windows covered by wrought-iron rejas and plant pots
spilling over with colourful flowers. In the heart of the village
is an attractive main square, the Plaza de Espana, lined with
bars and restaurants, and the 18th-century church of La Aurora.
The village was established in Moorish times by Berber settlers
who discovered a similarity with the mountains of their homeland
and those of the Sierra de Grazalema. They introduced sheep to
graze the lush mountain pastures and produced wool for ponchos
and blankets to guard against the wet climate.
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