Júzcar () is a village and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province of Málaga The province of Málaga ( ) is located in Andalusia, Spain. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south and by the provinces of Cádiz to the west, Seville to the northwest, Córdoba to the north, and Granada to the east. The province ...

, part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

in southern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It is situated in the east of province in the Valle del Genal. The municipality is situated approximately 22 kilometres from

Ronda Ronda () is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliffside location and a deep canyon that ca ...

and 113 from the provincial capital of

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

. It belongs to the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

Serranía de Ronda The Serranía de Ronda is one of the nine comarcas in the western part of the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. This comarca was established in 2003 by the Government of Andalusia. As is currently (as of 2009) the norm in Andalusia, it has n ...

. The village had been one of the White Villages of Andalusia, with buildings traditionally whitewashed. In spring 2011, buildings in the village (including the church) were painted blue by

Sony España is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (imaging and sensing), S ...

to celebrate the premiere of ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (; ) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was created and introduced as a series of comic characters by ...

'' movie. Approximately of paint were used. While the original agreement with Sony España included painting the village white after its promotion ended, in December 2011 the village hall organised a special referendum vote for the village residents to determine whether the village would remain blue or revert to white; the referendum results indicated the village would continue as blue with no date for reverting to white. The vote came after an estimated 95,000 tourists visited the village in the six months following the blue paint job, while the village had previously seen about 9,000 tourists annually. As of December 2020, Júzcar remains, more or less, a blue village. While the Smurf name has been left in the past, the village is still commonly known by Spaniards as the Smurf Village. However, for tourism, the village is officially referred to as "La Aldea Azul", the blue village. The village was last painted blue in 2019, with paint provided by the provincial and village governments, and building owners responsible for the actual painting. One of the highlights of the region surrounding Júzcar is the "Bosque de Cobre" or "Copper Forest". This picturesque area, located along the road connecting Júzcar with Pujerra and Igualeja, offers stunning panoramic views, especially during autumn when the chestnut trees turn a vibrant copper color.

Climate

References

Municipalities in the Province of Málaga {{Andalusia-geo-stub

Climate

See also

References