Spain is full of towns to escape to, with destinations not yet so overcrowded by tourism, and Andalusia It is quite a diamond in the rough to get lost among beautiful municipalities. Although many may seem similar to us, there are places that will still surprise the traveler with a unique character even despite its small size. Just 30 kilometers from Estepona, in the province of Malaga, is one of the most special towns in the country.
Almost hidden in a beautiful natural setting, in the heart of the Ronda mountains, we find Genalguacil, municipality and town of the same name with less than 500 inhabitants who can boast of living in one of the most beautiful towns in Andalusia and all of Spain. With its layout muslim heritageAlthough its origins date back even to prehistoric settlers, Genalguacil is a charming network of alleys to which bright white houses open.
But if just walking through its beautiful and well-kept streets is worth it, discovering at every step how the peculiar urban planning adapts to the steep terrain of the mountain range, it is another quality that makes the small municipality stand out as a unique place in the world. Well, as the City Council itself defines it, Genalguacil is the first inhabited Museum Town of the planet.
All thanks to the amazing contemporary art works that await almost every corner, surprising the visitor in a multitude of corners throughout its streets. They are the work of numerous artists who have been organizing art meetings open to creators from all over the world for about 30 years, and who have since turned the town into one of the international capitals of art.
It’s a biannual meeting which attracts in the month of August dozens of artists who leave their creative mark on the streets and buildings of the town, making it a living entity, in constant change and permanent conversations with its architecture, its people, its natural environment and its historical past.
In this way, contemporary art becomes another tool for combat depopulation that threatens so many rural towns in the country, demonstrating that the new and the old can coexist and feed each other.
Eastern Andalusia (Total Guide – Spain)
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Genalguacil, with its small size but enormous cultural and natural wealth, is a escape perfect for a day to take it easy, contemplating both its historical legacy and that living art that surprises and greets in every corner, without forgetting the beautiful place that embraces the town, a magnificent mountain landscape populated by cork oaks, chestnut trees, gall oaks and firs.
Photos | Genalguacil Pueblo Museum
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