Belicena: Church, Festivals and Routes through the Vega

Belicena brings together a historic church, two festival days with fixed dates on the calendar, and routes with different connections to the area. When planning, both the calendar and the scale of a route matter: some pass through the town, while others cover the municipal area or the Vega.

Church and architectural history

The Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia de Belicena has a rectangular floor plan and a single nave divided into four sections by pointed arches. The oldest of the municipality’s three churches, Belicena’s church is dedicated to San Sebastián and was built on the former site of a mosque. San Sebastiano, San Marcos and Cristo de la Misericordia are thought to be among the oldest works of art in the Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia de Belicena.

Festival days with different focuses

The Fiestas de San Marcos are celebrated in Belicena on 25 April as the patron saint’s festival, with a fair. On 2 January, the Día de la Toma is observed together with the Día de la Merendica. Families gather for a day together, including lunch, at natural sites and/or in tobacco drying sheds. The two occasions have different focuses: the San Marcos festival combines a patron saint’s celebration with a fair, while the Día de la Toma is associated with a family gathering and a shared meal. If you are planning your trip around one of the festivals, check the specific event dates in advance.

Park in Belicena

Parque Huerta del Pilar is in Belicena and is the oldest and largest park in the municipality of Vegas del Genil. The area of reference is important: the park is in the local district, while its ranking refers to the entire municipality.

Routes between the town and the Vega

The Ruta del Corazón de la Vega is a circular route that starts and ends at the Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia in Belicena. Along the way, the route passes through irrigation channels, historic cortijos and agricultural landscapes.

The Ruta de las Alquerías crosses the municipal area and follows paths through the Vega. It showcases historic, landscape, rural and traditional heritage, including cortijos, caseríos and tobacco drying sheds. The Ruta La Gallina also passes through Belicena.

Different features can be used to compare the routes: for the Ruta del Corazón, its circular layout and the church as its start and end point are specified; for La Gallina, its course through Belicena; and for the Ruta de las Alquerías, its paths through the municipal area and the Vega. This makes it possible to distinguish the routes by their specific connection to places or their landscape theme.

Seasonal crops of the Vega

In the outdoor area of the Centro de Interpretación de la Vega (CIV), visitors can learn about the seasonal crops characteristic of the Vega de Granada and the techniques used to grow them. The CIV is located in a former tobacco drying shed built in 1953. This brings architectural history and rural heritage into focus alongside agriculture. Tobacco drying sheds are also among the types of heritage showcased by the Ruta de las Alquerías.

Discover more destinations: Purchil, Iznalloz, Santa Cruz Del Comercio, Vélez de Benaudalla, Los Tablones, Juviles, Jayena, Graena

For the wider travel overview: Granada.