Illora - Where and What?

Illora is a country town on the slopes of the Sierra Parapanda mountain range in an area to the west of Granada known as the Poniente Granadino.

The setting is very attractive and the town itself has everything you need day to day including several banks, cafe /restaurants and many bars,  public swimming pool, primary and secondary schools as well as several shops and supermarkets, with a weekly market each Thursday (weather permitting).

The countryside all around is beautiful and perfect for walking, mountain biking or horse riding.

The town has several historical buildings and features, The Church of the Incarnation, and the ruins of a Moorish castle.

The town of "Ilyura" was formally created by the Moors and, during this early period of their control, the castle of Illora was built.  The castle sits on top of the rock which dominates the centre of Illora and its remains are there to see now.  The castle formed part of a chain of fortifications, including the towers in Montefrio and Moclin, designed to provide early warning of any incursion for the Moorish rulers of the Nazrid kingdom in the Alhambra in Granada.  Within this net, Illora became known as "Granada's Right Eye".

There is an excellent bus service to Granada whilst by car Granada city and airport are both about 30 minutes drive away. Malaga airport and the Costa del Sol beaches approximately 75 mins drive.

  

The Sierra Nevada ski resort, which can be seen from parts of the townis just about 45 minutes drive whilst the coast - Costa Tropical is about an hour. 

Illora is rich in history and, as such, is typical of the surrounding area.  A stay in Illora is a chance to enjoy the Alhambra and all that Granada is well known for, as well as to be able to easily tour the surrounding area and further afield to the great towns of Cordoba, Sevilla and Jaen.

This is a wonderfully friendly place to enjoy the life of “Real Spain”; slow, relaxed, friendly and fun!

Population of Illora, taken from official figures from 2011, show a total of 10,346 people registered at the Town Hall, with 236 of them being "foreigners" the majority from the United Kingdom.

Tapas Feria

Each year the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) arrange the Feria of the Tapas in Illora.

Initially, only eleven bars took part, but last year this increased to seventeen.

The idea is to boost the economy of the local bars, and also to introduce a competitive spirit where the bars produce quality selections of tapas, which are reviewed and graded by the customers, on a printed score card.

The bars taking part are awarded a ceramic plaque, which is proudly displayed.