Moraleda de Zafayona

Imagen de un pincho de jamón, pimientoi, anchoa y una aceituna pinchada en un palo

ARCHAEOLOGY, HONEY, AND TRADITION

There are places that guard millenary secrets beneath layers of lime and time. Moraleda de Zafayona is one of them, with its Cerro de la Mora archaeological site bearing witness to an uninterrupted occupation for 18 centuries. Only 36 kilometers from Granada, this municipality is an open book of history. Its name evokes the abundance of mulberry trees once used in the silk industry, while Zafayona derives from the Arabic Fa al-ayun, meaning ‘springs.’ It’s no coincidence: water defines this territory, from El Caño with its three fountains beside the old washhouse, a symbol and witness of the town’s history, to the Cacín River that irrigates its lands.

The Cerro de la Mora, located about four kilometers from the municipality, on the left bank of the Genil River, is much more than an archaeological site. This artificial hill, formed by centuries of human occupation, has revealed everything from Late Bronze Age pottery to Roman structures, including an important Iberian settlement. Archaeologists have documented here a unique cultural sequence in Andalusia, with discoveries including metallurgical ovens, storage silos, and a Visigothic necropolis, evidencing the site’s continuity as a sacred space.

 

The heritage also includes the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, with its slender tower built a hundred years ago under the patronage of Doña María de Coca  and the 1933 bridge over the Cacín River, which opened the town to trade with the coast. However, it is the cave neighborhood that best tells the social history: in the 19th century most lived in caves on the Pico Grajo hill, some of which have been restored today for rural tourism. A walk through steep streets and whitewashed facades that captivates with its beauty. And the Beekeeping Center at the Los Pinos Recreation Area offers a unique experience: dressing as a beekeeper and discovering the world of bees, connecting with a millenary relationship between humans and pollinators. The facilities include observation hives, wax workshops, and tastings of various local honeys.

The gastronomy keeps traditions alive with homemade sausages, old-style stews, garlic kid goat, and the surprising ajo blanco with blood sausage. Sweets like pine nut roscones and pestiños complete the menu. Especially notable is the Lucio variety olive oil, native to the Poniente de Granada. The festive calendar sets the rhythm of the town: La Candelaria on February 2nd with its bonfires and esparto ‘manchos’, Holy Week with the procession of the Virgin of Sorrows, San Marcos with the tradition of bread with boiled egg, and the old October Cattle Fair turned into a float pilgrimage.