Moorish influences in Andalusia are due to the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century. A piece of the Moorish past is revived during atmospheric events in the villages around Finca Las Nuevas.

How did the Moorish influences come to Andalusia?

In 711, the Islamic army entered the Iberian Peninsula through what is now Gibraltar. They soon conquered the Visigoth kingdom and extended their power over much of the peninsula. The Emirate of Cordoba came into being. In the region of Finca Las Nuevas, Omar Ben Hafsún rebelled against Omayyad rule in Andalusia in the late ninth and early 10th centuries.

Omar, born in the region around Ronda was of mixed Berber and Visigoth origin. He put up a lot of resistance in our region. At one point, he held the fortress of Álora. But eventually, his men lost the battle, after which the Caliphate of Cordoba was established.

Las Noches Al-loárabe in Álora

The fortress of Álora is the setting for the Arabian Nights, Las Noches Al-loárabe, every year on the last weekend of June/first weekend of July. The whole village is lit up with thousands of candles every night for a weekend.

La Plaza Baja hosts a Moorish market, el zoco árabe, with Moroccan food and various performances. Periodically, a procession of musicians and dancers passes through the village. The museum in Álora organises guided tours through the village to the fort.

Some years the fort is also transformed into a Moorish atmosphere and you can enjoy the view over the village and the Gualdalhorce valley while enjoying Moroccan tea and delicious sweets.

Luna Mora in Guaro

The first weekend in September, (for 2024: 6-7 September) you can see the Moorish influences in the village of Guaro. The village is illuminated with more than twenty thousand candles. Various activities are organised from concerts, storytellers and theatre to dance, exhibitions and parades. There is also a Moorish market here with crafts and Moroccan delicacies.

Tip: If you still want to park in the village, arrive in the early evening. From 8pm onwards, you won’t be able to enter the village and have to park several kilometres outside the village and then take a shuttle bus to Guaro.

Noches de la Bella Jarifa in Cártama

The last weekend of September/first weekend of October (in 2024: 30 September and 1 and 2 October) you can experience the Moorish influences in Cártama. The centre of Cártama Pueblo turns into a bustling souk full of stalls and booths selling local products and typical dishes these days. Not only the Moorish influences can be felt here but also the medieval era passes by. Here the street corners are also decorated with candles and there are regular parades, performances and children’s workshops. At the Estación de Cártama library, you can book a guided tour to the Nasrid castle/fortress and the water tower.

Simultaneously with la Bella Jarifa, you can enjoy the Flamenco Festival on 1 October 2024 in Cártama at the Auditorium of Santo Cristo Park. Performances start at 9.30 pm.

Also, on 1 and 2 October, you can visit the Minerals Fair in Santo Cristo Park. This fair starts at 10 am until the evening.

Tip: Also for the Bella Jarifa, if you arrive after 8 pm, park outside the village and then walk or take a shuttle bus to the centre.

Festival Embrujo Andalusí in Carratraca

The small village of Caratraca is lit with thousands of candles in mid-September (13-15 September 2024). There is a zoco (market); like in the other villages, there are parades, dance and music performances and a falcon exhibition. The evenings start from 6.30 pm. On Sundays, the festivities begin as early as noon there is also a cheese and wine tasting and, of course, there are delicious Arabic sweets to eat.

No Moorish influences but Spanish 

Do you fancy staying overnight in rural Andalusia – the campo, they call it here? Then come to Finca Las Nuevas. Our holiday homes are located in a more than hundred-year-old olive farm. In Casa Carmen, the influences of farm life are still visible and standing in the garden, you look out over olive and almond trees. Check out our website for your perfect holiday home.