Travels in Spain: Frigiliana

Jesse and I decided, after our Málaga stay, to head out a bit farther, away from the biggest cities in Andalusia. So, we rented a car and we stayed for a couple weeks in the town of Frigiliana, however we did not go far from Málaga, only about an hour by car. During our time we drove to other towns and cities in Andalusia, and we meet up with family in Sevilla next, after a short trip to Granda. But all that is to come. Right now, we have this view off our balcony:

On the second day, while it was drizzling and overcast, a full-on rainbow decided to show up:

Yesterday, we walked from the dry river bed below up 1300+ feet to the top of the second nearest mountain, see below where we were:

Frigliana is a small town of only 2,650 inhabitants; The residences all tan or red Spanish tile roofs sitting on top of white or tan painted buildings,many with blue doors of different shades. The backdrop of green mountains nearby, rocky, larger ones in the distance; and from the right angles, a view of the Mediterranean Sea, the Costa del Sol, and the town of Nerja below:

Jesse wrote about Frigililana here; the town was founded in Roman times, updated by the Moors, the town maintains a laid back vibe. There is the tourist-y center, in from of the old Molasses factory, where it is easy to get a drink, or ice cream, in and around; as well as spot some spectacular views of the Costa del Sol.

From the town center it is up, up, up small stone-laid streets, with shops closer to the main center, the number thinning out the higher up you walk; and eventually you walk back down. Near us there was a little alimentación, almost as close was a fruteria, run by Paco, who was very friendly and welcoming. The streets between us and the main street were named after Muslim’s with nice tile picture accompaniment that reflect the town’s Moorish roots.

We were also lucky enough to spend Semana Santa, including Easter Sunday, in Frigiliana, which was much more our pace. We had seen the setup for the festivities in Málaga, and even had to wade through a sea of people to get to our door on the Saturday before Easter Sunday; it was too intense and reminded us of the setup for the Rose Bowl parade and similar parades. Frigiliana was laid back; on Easter we sat on a bench in the main square and watched as the procession move from the higher part of town toward the main street; first the box with Jesus and then the one with Mary to follow; carried by a dozen men each, through the street for a couple kilometers.

The streets are very picturesque and walking them is fun to do at a leisurely pace.

Twice we traversed the Lecho del Río Higuerón – Mirador Frigiliana hike, which begins directly off the main square; the main square is where the streets of Calle San Sebastian and Calle Real meet, in front of the Molasses factory. Between the Virtudes restaruante and the farmacia is a road that is paved and zig-zags downhill steeply until reaching the Río Higuerón. The river, which has been dry for a long time, and as much of the walking path can be done in the river bed, on smooth, smaller rocks. The trail head shoots off to the right, up a dirt path; and continues climbing until reaching the top of the mountain. Some pictures on the way up:

There are no guardrails on this path, and it is moderately difficult, but highly recommended for the views, which are spectacular, and are reached within the first 1.5 miles. First, Frigiliana from up high:

The mountains on the other sides were impressive as well:

On the way down there are some great views of the Mediterranean Sea and the seaside towns of Nerja (left) and Torrox(right).

There are many places to eat in Frigiliana but we utilized the kitchen and cooked most of our meals at the apartment. We did have ice cream on the main square a couple of times, as it was quite tasty and the sugar cones were as well. There is also a bus to the nearby aforementioned town of Nerja that run every two hours or so (but not on Sundays). It picks up from the main square and just outside town, near the circle with the Frigiliana written out in big letters.

We had a lovely stay with sunny weather in Frigiliana and can recommend it for a short or long term stay. We really enjoyed walking the streets, which could go from quiet and empty to busy with visitors in a moment. Usually there was a relative peacefulness and sleepiness to the town. The relaxed but festive Semana Santa we were lucky enough to spend here was a welcome surprise I won’t soon forget.