The village of Mondújar is located next to, and flows seamlessly into Talara, both being part of the municipality of Lecrin. This lovely little village is super convenient with very easy access onto the Motorway to take you to Granada or the Coast in less than 25 minutes.
While it is often thought of as part of Talara, and benefits from all the restaurants, bars and amenities of its neighbour, Mondújar is its own village, with a tight-knit community and many attractions, including a beautiful 16C Church, built as a mosque, but after the departure of the Moors, restored as a Christian church.
One of its more contemporary attractions has to be the fantastic open air swimming pool and bar, known as the Acropolis, that opens from June to September and provides the wider community with a lovely place to spend the day and get out of the heat of the summer.
The village also has a variety of tapas bars, small supermarkets, a ferreteria, covered market square and various other hidden gems.
Just on the other side of the motorway is El Cerillo or El Castillejo, built there due to its special and protected location surrounded by orchards at the foot of the mountains. The castle was owned by Nasrid King and son of Boabdil, Muley Hacén, who built the fortress as a wedding gift for a Christian slave who became Queen of Granada. Her name was Zoraida or Zoraya, (lately Isabel de Solís after the reconquest) and she lived in her beloved castle with her husband and children until 1485
While the castle is now just ruins, it’s a very interesting place to visit in a fabulous position, and you can still see the old fortified walls and watering system for the ancient orchards.
The old cemetery of Mondújar, is the alleged Nasrid royal cemetery, to where Boabdil moved the remains of his ancestors, the kings of Granada. As a very well documented and important place in the various struggles of the area over the years, Mondujar also has a few secrets and allegedly there are still the remains of an escape route from the village church to the mountains, built for royalty should they need to make a speedy exit!
Photos from El Molino de Mondujar website and Ayuntamiento de Lecrin.
Mondújar Mill – El Molino de Mondújar – is one of three local mills and the very best in Mondújar. It’s one of the jewels of the region of The Lecrin Valley and this mill shows the level of engineering technology in the transformation of the olive oil industry over the last few centuries.
The Lecrin Town Hall restored the Mill in 2005 and transformed it into a beautiful museum and an art gallery, which is interesting in terms of learning about the local area and has a fabulous outdoor space used for events.
Besides showing the old gadgets with which the local oil was produced, it also has several rooms dedicated to local crafts, ceramics, textiles and glass azuelejos (tiles) and is one of two “tower mills” that exist in the region along the Acequia, but the only one that has been fully restored.
In summer there are lots of social and music events held in the Mill’s large courtyard area, including open air Jazz and Rock concerts. As a very tight community, the locals volunteer to run the events and man the bars. These events are definitely worth going to if you are in the area at the time. They’re great fun, very family friendly and are a good way to meet local people and socialise.
Fiestas:
- First Sunday of October: Virgen del Rosario
- 24 June: San Juan Bautista
Find properties for sale in Mondujar on our property pages.
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