A walk to a sanctuary hidden in the woods of Marbella

The remains of a chapel, which was built in the 16th century when wolves were still present in the Sierra Blanca mountains, can still be seen

Javier Almellones

Marbella

Tuesday, 15 October 2024, 20:19

It is still not clear why it was abandoned in the 18th century, when Charles III reigned in Spain. Today only a few walls remain, hidden behind the overgrowing vegetation. It is one of the historical icons of Sierra Blanca, the mountain range between Marbella and Ojén.

Today it is known as the La Ermita de los Monjes (chapel of the monks), although it has had other names since it was built in the 16th century by a group of Franciscans known as the Minors. There was even an important link between this chapel and the main parish church of Marbella, Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación.

Today this route can still be done on foot, thanks to a series of paths that lead there. In fact, the Marbella Activa association advertises several excursions there from Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación church. Today you can go along the path along arroyo de los Monjes (monks' stream), parallel to the Guadalpín stream, as the shortest route (from the Xarblanca residential area), but also from Nagüeles.

The Minors were known for defending evangelical poverty and living in secluded and solitary places, as this enclave of the Sierra Blanca was at that time. In fact, in the two centuries that it was inhabited, there were wolves in these mountains. These sanctuaries were considered miraculous and healing powers were even attributed to the nearby springs. This led many inhabitants of Marbella to go there in penitence.

Imagen principal - A walk to a sanctuary hidden in the woods of Marbella — J.A.

Imagen secundaria 1 - A walk to a sanctuary hidden in the woods of Marbella — J.A.

Imagen secundaria 2 - A walk to a sanctuary hidden in the woods of Marbella

The chapel, which had its own orchard and even a vineyard, was abandoned by the monks in the1760s. It was temporarily in the hands of a resident of Marbella, Francisco Granados, but would end up being forgotten, as reflected in the famous Diccionario de Madoz.

There, in the middle of the 19th century, the place was defined as "remains of an old monastery". At that time, according to this bibliographical review, a hermit looked after the building and the worship, "the alms of the faithful being sufficient for both purposes".

Nowadays, it is a strategic enclave in the Sierra Blanca network of footpaths. In fact, in addition to the other routes mentioned above, the stage of the Gran Senda de Málaga that links Marbella with Ojén passes through here. There are also those who follow the Via Sacra from Marbella and extend the itinerary to another emblematic landmark of this mountain range, the Cruz del Juanar, making it a fairly demanding route from a physical point of view, as it involves tackling an almost eight-kilometre climb.

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