The territory of the municipality of Pujerra, in the south-eastern part of the Ronda region on the border with the Western Costa del Sol, stretches across chestnut and pine woods down to the floor of the River Genal valley. This is a landscape in which the greenery of the plant cover joins hands with water to form surroundings that, although characteristic of the Ronda highlands, contribute their own unique features to what is already an unusual area of the province of Málaga.

Despite the fact that tourist traffic now penetrates every corner of the Highlands, the visitor will experience the sensation of a new discovery as he approaches Pujerra. Perhaps this is because these lands still preserve that look of virgin territory that is only to be found in those villages that have learned how to exist in the modern world while maintaining absolute respect for the natural environment in which they are located.
This locality’s poor transportation and communications links with the rest of the Ronda region have contributed on the one hand to keeping its valuable scenery intact and on the other to the fact that there are hardly any reliable records about the foundation and later development of this village, nor has there ever been any particularly important historical event to occur in this village. There are mentions of the existence of a Moorish village, Bentamín, that disappeared after the Christian conquest, but not even the local people know where that village might have been located.

One historian also refers to the existence of another lost village, Cenay, where the ruins of the old Molino de Capilla (Mill of the Chapel) now are. It was in this community of Cenay, according to legend, that King Wamba lived before coming to the throne.
It is impossible to establish to what extent this legend is based on more or less firm grounds, but there unquestionably are bricks known as “brácaris” that have been used in the façades of several houses in the village. On these bricks appear Christian symbols under the initials of the name Yesous Christos, which were used to mark the graves of Christians. In light of the fact that some of those bricks are dated to the second century A. D. it is reasonable to believe that the area had already been Christianised before the arrival of the Visigoths.
As for the origin of the village’s name, all is conjecture and nobody has yet been able to explain what it may mean or where it came from. On different documents, it is written as Oxera (probably a mistake by the copyist), Poxera, Puxerra and even Pugerra. There is reason to believe that the locality’s name may come from “Alpujarra”, since if the prefix “Al” is omitted from this word what remains is very similar to the name of this mountain village.

 

Whatever the case, there is no doubt that the origin of the village is to be found in the Arabic era, since its street plan follows the pattern of other nearby localities that do have documentation of their foundations during Muslim rule. Building upon this reasonable presumption, it is equally valid to believe that the history of this municipality must have followed the same path as that of the adjoining villages, at least until the eighteenth century. Reliable data appears from that century about the exploitation of mineral deposits (iron and asbestos) within the boundaries of this municipality, an activity that continued well into the nineteenth century.
The residents of Pujerra seem to have distinguished themselves in the struggle against the Napoleonic invasion, and in recognition of their acts in support of independence King Fernando VII granted it the status of villa (royal burgh) in 1814.

Outstandings Visits:
The village of Pujerra exhibits an urban plan that will bewilder a twenty-first century city dweller as it gives the impression of having deliberately spurned any semblance of rationality: narrow streets, some of them very steep and all of them uneven, with very simple houses notable for the amount of whitewash on their façades and the Arabic tiles on their roofs, and in the background of any apparently dead-end alley, the impressive mountain landscape.

In the village the sixteenth century parish church dedicated to the Espíritu Santo (Holy Spirit) draws the attention. In keeping with the village itself, it is a small and extremely simple church. Its sober architecture is notable for the eighteenth century belfry, which as it is located on a corner forms an angle.

How to Get There:
Take the Mediterranean Expressway (AP-7; N-340) to San Pedro de Alcántara, between Marbella and Estepona, and there take the A-376 towards Ronda. About 12 kilometres short of Ronda take the MA-526 to Igualeja and continue on the MA-527 to Pujerra.

 

 

Interesting Facts:
Surface Area: 24 square kilometres
Population: about 350
What the natives are called: Pujerreños
Monuments: The Espíritu Santo church and the natural surroundings.
Geographical Location: in the upper Genal area of the Ronda highlands. The locality is 770 metres above sea level and is 116 kilometres from the provincial capital. The municipality records an average rainfall of 1,100 litres per square metre and the annual average temperature is 13.5º C.
Tourist Information: Town Hall, Calle Fuente, 3 (29450). Telephone: 952 183 513; Fax: 952 183 513