Montejaque

Montejaque

Montejaque is located western edge of Málaga. Its lands stretch through the valley of the river Guadiaro and the Líbar mountains. This makes that the surroundings and natural spots from the municipality have an outstanding beauty.

The town of Montejaque has an Arab origin, as its name, that means lost mountain. In this place there was a medieval citadel, with its minarets, from where it was guarded part of the Serranía, in a time in which the town had a notable importance in the area. This building disappeared completely, only its name remains in the Finca El Castillo. Another historic place in this municipality is the place known as “El Puente”, where we can observe the remains of a Roman bridge over the river Campobuche. Apparently, in this place a fight to the French was won.

The city centre of Montejaque has an excellent direction and it can be divided into two parts, a high area and another older one, with anarchic paved narrow streets and Muslim winding plan. And another more modern in the lower area, with straight streets. In a walk through the interior of the municipality you have to visit the Church of Santiago El Mayor. You can also make a route in the outskirts of Montejaque from Tajo street, in the high area of the town: we leave among olive groves and asparagus plants towards the Llanos de Líbar. To 5 kilometres from the city centre we can observe the country estate called “El Pozuelo”, well known by the potholes, because in the area around it there is a spectacular cave. Another route is the one of the complex called Hundidero-Gato, a cave with 5 kilometres long. We have to stand out in the “boca de la cueva” a hole with 60 metres, where you have to visit with experts.

Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema
Pantano Viewpoint
Fuensanta Viewpoint

Monuments

The urban area of Montejaque, full of white houses and picturesque places, goes up until the smart neighbourhood that is characterized by its labyrinth of narrow streets from the Muslim Age. In the slums, made up of parallel and symmetric streets, you can find the Parish Church of Santiago, of Gothic style from the XVI century. It was made alterations in the XVIII century and inside you can observe, over the presbytery, a vault of terceletes just as an interesting pictorial decoration in the baroque chapel of the nave of the Gospel. The tower of the temple, that has been done up completely, has an octagonal main body.

Santiago Church
New Fountain
Marchal Fountain

Virgen de la Concepción Hermitage

Gastronomy of Montejaque

The gastronomy of Montejaque is characterized by the products of the pork. In the dishes prevail the top-quality meat, products from the vegetable garden, and with the best wines from the region.

We can mention some typical dishes such as the leg stew, chickpeas, loin and chorizo en manteca, tripe, golden thistle stews, mushrooms sautéed with egg and the hot gazpacho with asparagus.

As for the confectionery in Montejaque emphasizes the Pork Scratchings Flat Cake, the crafts from the organic agriculture, the mistela (Drink made of wine, water, sugar, and cinnamon) and the muffins.

How to get there

You have to leave Ronda by the A-376, and after covering 4,5 kilometres take the MA-555 until you get Benaoján, and through the MA-506 you get Montejaque. Another possibility is exit Ronda, through the A-376, and continue 12 kilometres until link with the exit of the MA-505, that leads you straight to Montejaque without crossing Benaoján.

Distances from Montejaque

Ronda 16 km
Sevilla 120 km
Málaga 139 km
Benaoján 2,5 km
Jimera de Libar 13 km
Cortes de la Frontera 18 km

Los Caballeros Dam

The Montejaque Dam, which was completed in 1924, was a pioneer in Europe, as it was the first of the so-called “Vault-Dome” typology, which was built 83,75 meters high from the foundation to the top. The particularity of this type of dam is that they have double curvature, both horizontally and vertically, and therefore resemble the vault shape with the concavity on the upstream side of the river. Read more…

Nature imposed its criteria and what could have been the great infraestructure of the Serranía de Ronda has remained as a witness to the struggle of man against nature.

Montejaque Town Hall