OK, so there isn’t much black magic going on up in the Alpujarra, but there are a lot of witches and wizards in Soportujar – even if it is just fancy dress – thanks to the III Feria de Embrujo de Soportujar.

As the name of the fair suggests, this is the third yearly witch-theme fiesta in the village, with this year enjoying over a thousand visitors from around the province.

But we’re not just talking about a 1-day event – it lasted five days and was packed with activities… as well as witches. There were theatre plays, classical guitar competitions, flamenco, sample menus for BBQ’d local pork products (mingling with the aroma of burnt witch), a 1,000-candle procession, magic shows, comedians and sports competitions.

So, what’s with witches and Soportujar? Well, it is famous locally for its history of famous and infamous witches & warlocks. The village wishes to capitalise on this spooky history and plans are afoot for a ‘mysterious’ fountain and the restoration of the Cueva del Ojo as a witch haunt.

Hmmm… Can’t help thinking that the projected fountain will owe its mystery to being invisible – great way to disguise a lack of funds, eh?

(News: Soportujar, Alpujarra,granada, Andalucia)