From the Cerro Kabila viewpoint, a hiking route descends through the badlands to irrigated farmland and, on the return journey, passes through a neighborhood of cave houses. Benalúa de Guadix thus brings together landscape and local history with religious sites, a cave museum and historic buildings. Wine and an annual festival are also among the specific occasions that can shape your stay.
Hiking Route Through the Badlands
The hiking route through the badlands begins at the Cerro Kabila viewpoint. From there, it descends to irrigated farmland with peach orchards and some vineyards. On the return journey, it passes through Barrio del Camarate, a neighborhood of cave houses. The route therefore leads from the badlands across agricultural land to a distinctive form of housing. Visitors interested in landscape and agriculture will find these themes along the same described route.
Another named route reference is the PR-155 Sendero de Benalúa a Guadix, designated for the municipalities of Benalúa and Guadix. The specific course of the Badlands route and this designation are separate pieces of information to help you find your way when planning your trip.
Cave Sites and Their History
The religious complex of San Torcuato is located in the Face Retama area. It comprises an old and a new hermitage, as well as an underground monastic complex with twenty-five rooms. The first written mention of the hermitage and the caves of Face Retama dates from 1696. This date marks the first written mention and is not automatically a founding date.
The Cueva Museo Benalúa is housed in a restored old cave. Its setting includes three large halls and modern audiovisual resources; it presents the history, people and traditions of Benalúa. This gives the museum a different perspective on cave history from the religious complex in Face Retama: its focus is the history and life of the town.
The Cueva del Centro offers another historical perspective. Local workers hollowed it out during the Second Republic to serve as a space for public meetings, discussions and cultural activities. Its history is about community use and cultural life at the time, complementing the religious and local-history focus of the other cave sites.
Church, Wine and Festivals
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen was built between 1858 and 1864 and consecrated on February 6, 1864. It has a basilica-style floor plan and a Neo-Mudéjar style. Its walls consist of brick masonry, as well as sections filled in using rammed-earth technique or stone. The construction period, consecration, floor plan and materials each describe a different aspect of the church and offer several points of interest for a culturally focused stay.
For a culinary experience, Bodegas Pago de Almaraes offers a cellar visit with a guided tasting of four wines and a snack of local cured meats. If you plan this visit, check the booking details in advance. The Fiestas de la Virgen del Carmen take place every year on July 16. The procession route changes each year so that it passes through all parts of the town. If you are planning your trip around this festival, you can use July 16 as your date anchor and check additional event details in advance.
When planning your accommodation, you can use the festival date, the wine visit, or your hiking and cultural interests as a starting point for your decision. The festival day and cellar visit raise different planning questions: the date is given for the festival, while the booking details matter for the Bodega visit. If your trip does not revolve around either occasion, you can instead focus on the Badlands route, the cave sites or the church.
Discover more destinations: Benamaurel, Válor, Lújar, Pampaneira, Loja, Lanjarón, Alfornón, Gójar.
For the overview of the wider region: Granada.
