Church of Nuestra
Señora de la Encarnación |
El Burgo is an ideal
place for nature lovers and those who might wish to get away for a quiet
holiday. One reaches the town by the Ronda road, less than an hour out of
Malaga. It is situated in the heart of the Biospheric Reserve of the Sierra
de las Nieves, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Of particular beauty is
the area of the river Turón, which flows through the mountains carrying a
wealth of clean water from the many streams that feed it, and filled with
fish and river animals that are being protected more and more in these
environmental-friendly days. Most of the land area of the municipality is
covered in the rare pinsapo (a species of Mediterranean pine) and oak trees,
with mountain birds in the higher, more sparse areas. Here, with an
environmental system of its own, animals like mountain cats and foxes lives
side by side with mountain goats and other wildlife, and here too one can
still see eagles, vultures and hawks. Even in the town centre, one can see
the storks nesting in the bell tower of the Church of the Encarnación, with
straight and wide streets opening out into gardened squares. El
Burgo was built on a hill 500 metres high, a position taken advantage of by
the Celts, the first people to settle in this area. Nobody
knows much about the origin of the town’s name. Some say it derives from
the Greek word "Purgos", which means tower, while some point to a
German origin in the word "Barugs". Others believe the name came
from the Arabic El Borch, which also means a tower. Whatever the case, we do
know that many different cultures settled here, from the Celts to the Moors
and on to our own civilisation.
Places
to be visited
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Trekking
routes
LA FUENSANTA AND LOS SAUCES.
The start of this route is two kilometres from the town in the
Yunquera direction. We enter into an area bordered by pine that
follows the curve of the river, which has a lush bank vegetation.
A kilometre and a half further on we find ourselves in a forest
tree nursery, used to re-plant the state forest land, and just
beyond that there is a recreation area where the old Fuensanta
mill is situated. If we keep walking we arrive at the area of La
Rejertilla, and beyond this there is a fork in the road with a
stone Galician cross. On the right we link up with the El
Burgo-River Turón route, through the Puerto de la Mujer, while
the left-hand side brings us once again to La Rejertilla, where
the camp site of Los Sauces and the Convento de las Nieves is. The
road on the right continues on to some abandoned mines, passing
through the pinsapo forest on the mountain of Alhucemas. The road
then turns into a pathway that brings us to the highest peaks in
the Sierra de las Nieves.
EL BURGO - RIVER TURON. At the bridge on the A-366 there is
a pathway on the left bank of the river that runs parallel to it,
filled with poplar and olive trees, further on leading into a
dense wooded area. Two kilometres in we find ourselves in at the
El Dique reservoir, a bathing area, with a series of smaller
reservoirs of different sizes beyond this. They are called the El
Largo, the La Requena, the Nacimiento and the Hierbabuena. The
river-bed runs dry beyond this last one in summertime. Continuing
on, one finds oneself with wonderful views over the Lifa Valley,
the Peñón de Ronda and the Peña de los Enamorados. We can push
on from here to reach the previous route through the Puerto de la
Mujer, or return by the other bank of the river.
VIBORA BAJA - VIBORA ALTA. This route begins on the
left-hand side at 13 kilometres along the MA-478 road to Serrate.
Continuing up this way one leaves a pathway on the left with a
television repeater tower on it, and Víbora Alta. Just before
reaching the summit there is a pathway that leads to a pool of
water maintained for fire-fighting purposes, and the fountain of
Víbora Alta. Beyond this point it is downhill all the way until
reaching the Cortijo de la Ventilla, and beyond that, the Mirador
del Guarda.
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| Where
to eat |
Venta
El Yoni. Terraces with views over the river. Large
dining room. Cerro de las Culebras (at 500 metres from the town).
Tel: 952 160 089/278.
Restaurante El Porra. Home
cooking. Large dining room. Ctra. de Serrato, 2. Tel: 952 160 275.
Hotel La Casa Grande del Burgo.
Large terrace and dining room. C/Mesones, 1. Tel: 952 160 232.
Hotel Posada del Canónigo.
Local cuisine, meals arranged for the mountains. C/Mesones, 24.
Tel: 952 160 185.
Hostal Sierra de las Nieves.
Home cooking. C/Real, 16. Tel: 952 160 117.
Tapas
Bar El Casino. C/Real, 17, Bar
El Chavito. C/Real, 1, Bar
Panete. C/Mesones, 27, Bar
Isla Palomas. C/Real, 30, Bodega
El Tostón. C/Karl Marx, 6.
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| Where
to sleep |
Hotel
La Casa Grande del Burgo (3*). With 18 bedrooms.
C/Mesones, 1. Tel: 952 160 232.
Hotel Posada del Canónigo (2*).
12 bedrooms. Organised excursions. C/Mesones, 24. Tel: 952
160 185.
Hostal Sierra de las Nieves.
12 bedrooms. C/Real, 16. Tel: 952 160 117
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
A park area with
barbecue and camping facilities |
FIESTAS
The most popular festival in El Burgo is the Week of the Pueblos, which
takes place from February 24th to 28th. It is organised by the Town Hall
and the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, with conferences, theatre, dance
competitions and musical performances over the period of the festival. The
festival in honour of the Virgen de la Fuensanta takes place on the first
Sunday in August, with a romería and a series of cultural events. The
annual feria in El Burgo is on August 28th. The carnival takes place in
February, and Holy Week celebration, of course, constitute one of the most
important festive events in the El Burgo calendar. And finally, the San
Juan night is in June, with enormous bonfires.
GASTRONOMY
The most traditional cuisine of El Burgo
is country cooking. These include the olla, a dish made from pork products
and chickpeas, and the soup made from bread boiled in salted water with
garlic, peppers, tomatoes and asparagus. If eggs are added to this, the
dish become known as the "sopeado". Famous too are the bean
dishes, the gazpacho with onion and the omelettes and stews. In craftwork,
the men of El Burgo like to make items in wickerwork, cane and wrought
iron, while the women like to work with embroidery.
THE BANDIT PASOS LARGOS
José Mingolla Gallardo, Pasos
Largos, has passed into the history books as the last Andalusian bandit. He
was born on May 4th, 1863, in a farmhouse in the Los Empedrados area, and
inherited the nickname Pasos Largos (Long Strides) from his father. After
fighting for the Spanish forces in Cuba he returned to devote his life to
poaching, but was reported by a land owner to the Guardia Civil. He was
imprisoned, ill-treated and later released, upon which he killed the land
owner in question and also killed his own father, the story goes. He gained
renown for his blood-thirsty ways, was captured and imprisoned once again
for life in 1916, but released in 1932. He died two years later in strange
circumstances.
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