Situated to the North of Lake Vinuela on the gentle South Western slopes of the Sierra de Alhama Periana is a mainly agricultural village particularly well known for its olives and peaches.
Two of the main festivals celebrated here every year reflect this, firstly at the end of March with the Dia del Aceited Verdial introduced recently to promote the uniquely sweet flavoured olive oil produced from the Olivo Verdial trees of the area and secondly the Feria del Molocot which takes place during the third week of August and is considered to be one of the best peach festivals in Spain. The third main festival is that of San Isidro, the patron saint of the village, which is held from May 14 16. The statue of the saint is carried through the streets and wheat and flowers are showered onto it. There is music and dancing in the streets and a picnic in the countryside with food provided for everyone.
Periana became a municipality in 1761 when its chapel acquired the status of parish church. The village suffered from partial devastation when it was hit by the “Andalucian earthquake” on Christmas Night 1884. 58 people lost their lives and it was not until the intervention of King Alfonso XII who visited the area in January 1885 that help for the village really got under way.
The area is dotted with archaeological remains, the most noted of which are those from the Palaeolithic period at Cerro de Alcolea and the painting in Marchomonas Cave. There are also traces of habitation from the Lower Roman Empire. Finally the sulphur spa at Banos de Vilo is worth a visit.
Due to the earthquake there are no buildings of real architectural interest except the church of San Isidro which is built in the Neomudejar style, however there are many interesting nooks and crannies to explore in the village. The modern town hall is also worth a mention. Situated in an enviable situation with stunning views to Lake Vinuela it has an atrium with huge plants and a giant mosaic of the area and the staircase has a floor to ceiling window which again give wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and Lake. It must take a great deal of concentration to work in any of the offices on the western side of this building as the views are amazing.
The village has its full complement of shops, supermarkets, banks, offices, bars and restaurants plus a pharmacy. There is a weekly street market which sells everything from home produced vegetables and eggs to underwear. The village also has a municipal swimming pool and gardens.
The area lends its self to outdoor activities and is great for walking, horse riding, cycling and off-road explorations. There is the opportunity to make good use of Lake Vinuela for swimming or non mechanical water sports and the coast is an easy drive away.
