Logbook · 7 places

What to see and do in Algar

What to see and do in Algar (Sierra de Cádiz, Cádiz): 7 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

When to go to Algar: festival calendar

September: Fiesta patronal con alfombra de sal (September)

How far each place is from the centre of Algar

Towns near Algar

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What to see in Arcos de la Frontera 17 km · 4 places
What to see in Prado del Rey 17 km · 3 places
What to see in El Bosque 18 km · 3 places
What to see in Ubrique 19 km · 4 places
What to see in Bornos 20 km · 8 places
What to see in Benaocaz 22 km · 3 places
What to see in Alcalá de los Gazules 22 km · 9 places

Spain › Andalusia › Cádiz › Sierra de Cádiz › Algar

What to see and do in Algar

Algar
Village
Algar is a municipality in the Sierra de Cádiz, the smallest in area in the district, located beside the Majaceite river and near the Guadalcacín reservoir, on the Route of the Pueblos Blancos and at the entrance to the Los Alcornocales natural park. Its name comes from the Arabic al-gar, the cave. It was called Santa María de Guadalupe de Algar until 1842; it was founded in 1773 by the Galician indiano merchant Domingo López de Carvajal, who, captivated in Mexico by the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Tepeyac, bought dehesas in 1757 and populated them with settlers after surviving a storm on the return voyage to Spain. It now has around 1,450 inhabitants who live from agriculture, livestock farming, leather and timber work, and rural tourism.
Berrea del ciervo en Algar
Nature
In the surroundings of the Los Alcornocales Natural Park, at whose entrance Algar sits, it is traditional to go in late September to listen to the deer rut (berrea).
Iglesia de Santa María de Guadalupe
Monument
Parish church of Algar, with the Virgen de Guadalupe as patroness, alongside the images of the Inmaculada, San José Obrero and San Nicolás.
Castillos de Tempul y Pedro Lobato
Monument
Remains of the castles of Tempul and Pedro Lobato and the Torre de Calduba, old defensive fortifications in the vicinity of Algar, near the source of the Tempul spring and the Peñón del Águila.
Fundación de Algar en 1773
Historical milestone
Algar was founded in 1773 by Domingo López de Carvajal, a Galician merchant who had grown wealthy in Mexico and who, as a devotee of the Virgen de Guadalupe, established the settlement in fulfillment of a religious vow.
Fiesta patronal con alfombra de sal
Activity
The September patronal festivities include a procession over a carpet of salt, a tradition recalling the Mexican origins of the village's founder.
Caza, caracoles y dulces de Algar
Food and drink
Cuisine of Algar based on game meat (venison, wild boar, partridge), snails in spicy sauce, garlic and asparagus soups, along with artisan pastries such as tortas de aceite and piñonate.