The tiny little village of Parauta is a must for the lovers of nature, it is located on the border of the Guadalhorce valley region and the Western Costa del Sol some 105km from Malaga. It lies in a beautiful location in the southern Oreganal mountain range, close to the Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves (Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park), and is the location of the Parauta Spanish fir forest

Although the village is very small there are still things to see in the village like the

Inmaculada Concepción church, built in the the sixteenth century which has a stunning example of a Latin cross floor plan with a wooden roof over the transept, and the exterior is noteworthy for its Mudéjar tower with semicircular arches on the bell level, which is covered by a hip roof.

On entering the church you can be seen an eighteenth century image of a Virgin of Sorrows and a polychrome wooden carving of San Pascual Bailón, which is a exceptional copy by Adrián Risueño of the original by Pedro de Mena.

One of the best reasons for visiting the village is to see the Valdecilla evergreen oak tree, which some refer to as “the mother of all evergreen oaks”. Which can be found not far from the village. It is a specimen that is unique to its species and has been cited in several botanical publications. It is more than 20 metres tall and more than three metres in diameter.

August is a good time to visit the village as between the 15^th and 20^th of the month the village holds a fiesta in honour of the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary). The celebrations are made up of diverse activities in which not only the resident villagers participate but also many ex locals who, , do not live in the village and take advantage of these days to visit with their friends and relatives.

During Semana Santa (Holy Week) the festivities begin on Palm Sunday with the traditional palms parade. And on Holy Thursday Jesús Nazareno (Jesus of Nazareth) and the Virgen de la Soledad (Virgin of Solitude) parade through the streets. They go by separate routes and “meet” in the Plaza de Parauta, and on Good Friday the same Virgin again is borne in a procession, but this time behind the Entierro (Burial)..

The night of Holy Saturday sees a fantastic firework display and hunters fire their guns to announce Easter Sunday, the day that a “huerto” (bower) is installed on the edge of the village and in which is placed an image of the Child Jesus. At noon the Virgen del Rosario comes to meet the Child, while six rag- doll figures called Judases are burned.

There are many areas for walkers and hikers in the area around the village and you can get information about the area from the tourism office at the town hall in the village

Tourist Information: Town Hall, Plaza del Calvario, 30 (29421). Telephone: 952 181 028; Fax: 952 181 000