LIKE many villages along the Granada – Algeciras railway line, Jimera de Líbar has two parts to it. In the case of Jimera, the two are about 2 km apart.
The upper part of Jimera is very small, as you can see from the above population figure and it is also the older part. Its origins can be traced back several centuries, even to prehistoric times. Evidence found at the nearby Pileta Cave suggests that there were Neolithic settlements here. The Phoenicians, in turn, left their mark at the Finca El Tesoro, 4 km from Jimera. The Phoenicians were the first to bring the olive tree to Andalucia, a feature of the hillsides around Jimera. Next there came the Romans who built a causeway near Jimera to connect Gibraltar with the town of Acinipo just outside Ronda.
However, Jimera really took off when the Moors came to this part of Andalucía. Jimera´s name can be traced back to Moorish times: Inz Almaraz (“woman´s castle”) was the Arabic name given to the village. The name Inz Almaraz is the name of the present hotel-bar-restaurant in Jimera. There is a Moorish cemetery under the present church, suggesting that there was also a castle at Jimera, like many other villages in the area. Remains of that castle have yet to be found.
When the Christians took Ronda in1485, they changed the name of the village to the more Spanish-sounding Ximera de Líbar and placed it under the administration of Ronda. The name Ximera de Líbar can still be seen on the public fountain dated 1789.
The lower, newer part of Jimera was organically linked to the building of the railway in the late 19th century from Algeciras to Bobadilla, and from there to Granada. This part of Jimera has taken the name La Barriada (“neighbourhood”) de La Estación (“station”). The neighbourhood has quite a different feel to it and its appearance could not be more unlike its cousin up the hill. It is even smaller than Jimera proper and runs next to the railway and the Río Guadiaro. Besides the usual birdlife, such as the incredibly loud (considering its tiny size) Cetti´s Warbler, the river also attracts human lovers of water in the summer and walking in all seasons.There are several walks in the Jimera area described in our book Walking in the Ronda Mountains.
Las Brujas (Festival of the Witches). Part of the carnival celebrations. Normally mid – late February.
Fiesta de la Harina (Flour fiesta). Ash Wednesday. The participants, and some non-participants, are liberally showered with flour which represents ashes.
Fiesta de la Virgen de la Salud (the patron Saint of Jimera). The biggest fiesta: August.
All Saints Day. 1st November. Chestnut roast on the village square in front of the church.
La Candelaria. Christmas Eve. Candles burning in the streets and in house windows.