One of the roads that lead to Ronda passes through El Burgo, a locality that is one of the ports of entry to the Highlands and that sits next to the River Turón. The lands that lie near the urban nucleus level out and permit the raising of olives and grains, while a large part of this municipality’s terrain is covered with gall oaks and pine groves whose greenery reaches to the middle heights of the mountains.

A number of rocky areas spread downwards from the mountain peaks, forming truly awe-inspiring landscapes such as the cliff of the Lifa valley and Los Sauces. The latter spot is reached by the forest trail of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves convent. That name (Our Lady of the Snows) alludes to the Sierra de las Nieves, which was designated a Biosphere Reserve and whose setting forms part of the municipal territory of El Burgo.
As for the origin of the village, there is still no one theory that is favoured over others, due to confusing records about which no consensus exists. Thus, some believe that the village’s name derives from “paurgus” (a Greek noun meaning “tower”); others incline toward a Celtic origin (Baurgs), and finally, others are sure that it comes from the Arabic “borch”, which also translates as “tower”.

 

 

Of course, it is very probable, as there are firm grounds for believing, that El Burgo originated as a Celtic fortified settlement and that it was successively occupied by the various civilisations that passed through this region. In the course of this history, the Carthaginians erected the watchtower called Torre de Aníbal (Hannibal’s Tower) and for their part the Romans in the time of Trajan, who was born in nearby Itálica, conferred imperial privileges upon the villa for being an essential post for their legions. At Puerto de los Empedrados, there are still traces of the road that linked Acinipo with Málaga.
During the Muslim era, El Burgo formed part, along with other villages in the region, of the domain of Omar Ben Hafsun who in the eleventh century confronted the Caliphate of Córdoba. The fortress that was built at that time, today known as Atalaya de Cornicabra (Cornicabra watchtower), was one of the main defensive points in the region against the Caliphate troops, into whose hands it fell after the death of Ben Hafsun. El Burgo belonged to Ronda during the era of the Taifas Kingdoms and later to Málaga and Granada.
In 1485, in common with other villages in the region, El Burgo surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, and during the reign of Felipe II, this royal burgh was granted the privilege of exemption from taxes in recognition of the courage demonstrated by its warriors.

 

Outstandings Visits:
The La Encarnación church is the most artistically valuable monument in El Burgo. It sits in the upper part of the village, on the premises of what used to be the fortress but of which now only the ruins of a few walls remain. Its construction dates from the early sixteenth century (1505), but it has been altered on several occasions. It was designed in the Mudéjar style, into which, features of later eras were incorporated. Its interior consists of three naves separated by arches. There are two façades on the outside: one is Gothic-Mudéjar and the other is baroque and was done in the late eighteenth century. The tower is covered by a small, hipped roof.
The Virgen de la Nieves Carmelite Convent church, outside the urban district, was erected in the mid-sixteenth century and rebuilt in the eighteenth century. It is a simple structure with a single nave in which an olive oil mill was installed in the nineteenth century, after it was abandoned by the religious order as a consequence of the expulsions by Mendizábal.

The San Agustín church (1952) houses the images of San Agustín (Saint Augustine), La Inmaculada (The Immaculate) and the Sagrado Corazón (Holy Heart). The Puente de Málaga (Málaga bridge) is on the Ardales road; it preserves some features from the Roman era. The El Dique waterfall and the eighteenth century Molino de la Fuensanta (La Fuensanta mill) are of historic and scenic interest.
The San Sebastián hermitage, which was built next to the cemetery in the late fifteenth century, preserves its late Gothic portal. It seems that the small, simple temple was built in honour of Saint Sebastian because Isabela the Catholic was very devoted to that saint.

How to Get There:
The most advisable route (there are several) to El Burgo is the one that starts in the city of Málaga. Take the A-357 towards Campillos. When you get to Ardales take the MA-446 and the MA-445 straight to El Burgo (it is the same road but has different names depending on the section).

Interesting Facts:
Surface Area: 118.6 kilometres
Population: about 2,000
What the natives are called: Burgueños
Monuments: the La Encarnación church, La Virgen de las Nieves convent church, San Agustín church, Puente de Málaga (Málaga bridge), Molino de la Fuensanta (La Fuensanta mill), and the San Sebastián hermitage.
Geographical Location: in the Ronda region, adjoining that of Antequera and of the Guadalhorce valley. The village, which stands at almost 600 metres above sea level, is 27 kilometres from Ronda. The average rainfall is 621 litres per square metre and the annual average temperature is about 15º C.
Tourist Information: Town Hall, Calle Real, 22 (29420). Telephone: 952 160 277; Fax: 952 160 180