Frigiliana

Frigiliana climbs a slope in the Sierra de Almijara above Nerja, and its Barribarto quarter preserves the Moorish street plan almost intact: narrow cobbled lanes rising in steps, whitewashed walls, doorways framed in painted tile, and pots of geraniums on every surface. Twelve ceramic panels set into the walls tell the story of the 1569 Morisco rebellion, which ended in a siege on the rock above the village. An eighteenth-century palace at the centre now houses a mill producing miel de cana, sugar cane molasses, the only one still working in Europe, and its dark syrup appears in local cooking. In late August the village holds a three-day festival of the three cultures with music and food.

What you actually see

• The Barribarto quarter - an intact Moorish street plan of stepped lanes.
• The ceramic panels - twelve tiled scenes of the 1569 rebellion.
• The molasses mill - the last working cane syrup mill in Europe.
• The sierra setting - the village on a slope with the sea below.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking the steep lanes in comfort; the late August festival is the village's main event and fills it completely. Summer midday is hot and the lanes offer little shade.

Honest expectations

The lanes are steep, stepped and hard on knees, and cars must be left at the edge. It is heavily visited, with coach groups arriving mid-morning, and the main streets are lined with souvenir shops. Parking is limited.

Nearby

Nerja and the Balcon de Europa are six kilometres below; the Sierra de Almijara trails start above the village.