Júzcar, Spain: 11 things to do in the blue ‘Smurf’ village

Júzcar village in Malaga province in Spain is one of the most unique hidden gems in Andalusia. This small village attracts visitors thanks to its unique color – all the houses in the village are painted blue! This is why Júzcar is referred to as the Blue Village – ‘La Aldea Azul’ – in Spain!

We spent a couple of hours walking around Júzcar and exploring places in the village. It is completely possible to visit the village within an hour or two, so it is a great quick stop to make during your travels around Andalusia.

Júzcar is also one of the best day trip destinations from Malaga! In this blog post, you will find all the places to see in Júzcar village with descriptions, photos, and locations where they can be found on Google Maps. Happy exploring!

Read more » 21 most beautiful white villages and towns in Andalusia

Where is Júzcar village?

Júzcar village is located in Valle del Genal valley, in Malaga province in Andalusia, Spain. It sits just a 30-minute drive away from Ronda, a 1h15min drive away from Marbella, and a 1h50min drive away from Malaga city.

Location on Google Maps: Júzcar

Why is Júzcar village blue not white?

Júzcar village was once a typical Andalusian whitewashed village. In 2011, on the occasion of the release of The Smurfs movie, Sony España made a deal with the village to paint it blue for marketing purposes.

Part of the deal was to paint it white again once the project ended, however, in a town hall meeting the villagers voted to leave the village blue. One of the deciding factors was the fact that the village saw a major tourist influx thanks to its unique color.

Is Júzcar village still blue? Yes. Although the project happened a long time ago, the locals have been renewing the color and the village is still blue. There were a couple of white houses here and there, but for the most part, it is still blue!

Where to park your car and what to see in Júzcar?

Parking in the village is limited. There are a couple of places along the road next to Bar Torricheli restaurant, but I recommend parking just a few meters outside the village once the houses end.

It is an excellent spot to start your walk around the village. We also parked outside the village but at the side of the road that goes uphill. See our parking location on Google Maps here. It was quite busy when we visited.

1. Take a look at the village from Mirador de Júzcar!

So before you drive to the village, check out possible spots along the way where you can take a look at the village from afar. All that bunch of blue houses looked really cool! We stopped to take a look at the village from Mirador del Pueblo de Júzcar viewpoint.

There is no special platform or area to park your car. We parked our car at the side of the road and then walked a bit further along the road to find a great spot where we could see the village and all the blue houses.

Location: Mirador del pueblo de Júzcar

2. Walk by the Parque de Júzcar and see the map of the village!

Parque de Júzcar is a small playground area with Smurf-style attractions. Although it is meant for kids, you can take some fun photos as an adult, as well, haha! This is the first spot we visited coming from the parking lot.

This spot is kind of on a slope so you can see the valley and part of the village with blue houses. Here you will also find the map of the village. There is supposed to be a route with QR codes and paintings on the wall however we did not go the route.

The main reason is that the route was in a strange order and we actually could not find some of the spots, but many paintings were really faded and washed out so it was not fun anymore. Instead, we visited the most interesting streets and spots, so read along!

Location: Parque de Júzcar

3. Stop by Casa del Bandolero to visit Gargamel!

One of the first places to visit in Júzcar is Casa del Bandolero or the House of the Bandit. It is actually a hotel but on the side of the street, you will find the first paintings on the wall – it is one of the characters from The Smurfs movie.

The character is named Gargamel – he is a wizard and plays an enemy of the Smurfs in the movies, trying to destroy them. When we visited, there was a big painting on the wall of Gargamel and his cat. Stop by and take a photo!

Location: Casa del Bandolero

4. Walk through one of the most beautiful streets – Calle Sol!

Once you meet Gargamel, I recommend turning back downhill to one of the most beautiful and interesting streets in Júzcar – Calle Sol. The street features numerous paintings – some of the most beautiful that I saw in the village.

My favorite painting in Júzcar was the pink blooming almond tree on Calle Sol with a cat next to it. Right when I stopped by to take a photo of the painting, there was a real cat walking past the painting and I caught it in the photo. So I have two cats and a tree!

As you probably notice, the almond tree painting is on one of the few white houses in the village, but it somehow makes it extra unique and interesting. There were a couple of them, but I hope this one stays white with this beautiful painting on the wall!

There were other cool paintings on Calle Sol including the butterfly wall as well as other creatures like a snail, a grasshopper, and others. Sometimes you walk around the village and there are no paintings in sight, but this street was full of them!

That’s why this was one of my favorite places in the village and one of the best places to visit in Júzcar. From this street, you can walk further downhill and turn to another beautiful street full of paintings – Calle Fuente Caraila.

Location: Calle Sol

5. See the fun paintings on Calle Fuente Caraila street!

Okay, so maybe I have two favorite streets in Júzcar. Apart from the beautiful paintings on the walls of Calle Sol, another street that is a must-visit place in Júzcar is Calle Fuente Caraila. It is one of the streets that is connected to Calle Sol.

As you walk along the street you will stumble upon a place full of fun animal paintings on the walls. There were pigs, cows, squirrels, and other animals. My favorite painting was the pharmacist squirrel next to the Farmacia del Pueblo pharmacy.

Finding all the paintings on this street was so much fun! The street is rather short so I recommend walking there and back again as the next street that I recommend exploring – Calle Genal – starts right about in the middle of this one.

Location: Calle Fuente Caraila

6. Stroll along Calle Genal street!

Calle Genal is a long beautiful street that will take you down the hill along the blue houses of the village. Walking down this street you can get nice views of the village houses that are positioned lower down the slope.

There were a couple of cute spots on this street including the painting of the tree that is supposed to fit with the real tree behind it if you look from the right angle! They do get very creative with some of the paintings, however, many other ones are quite simple.

If you pay attention, you will notice the most beautiful letterbox in Júzcar on this street. It is located somewhere in the middle of the street. Check the location below – we saw this unique letterbox somewhere there!

Location: Calle Genal

7. Check out the blue stairs in Júzcar!

If you are looking for a cool photo spot in Juzacar then I think I have the best spot for you – the blue stairs! I love how this place is surrounded by blue houses and all the steps are also painted blue.

Best photo spot in Júzcar, in my opinion. It is a bit hidden from the main street and there are no signs pointing in this direction so you have to double check the map to find this place. See the location below!

Another cool spot with stairs is located at the end of Calle Genal, right next to the ‘Milagros’ gift shop. These ones are super narrow but also would look cool in the photo. See the location below and stop by the gift shop while there!

Location: Blue Stairs – Narrow blue stairs

8. Get some Smurf souvenirs from the ‘Milagres’ gift shop!

As you walk along these stairs, stop by the cute gift shop to get some Smurf souvenirs! The gift shop’s name translates as the ‘miracle’. You can get all kinds of keepsakes from Spain’s Smurf village here including cups, books, and toys among other things.

Location: Gift shop ‘Milagres’

9. Find Papa Smurf hiding in the village!

Papa Smurf is the main character of The Smurfs movie and he is the main guy in the Smurf village in Spain. Taking a photo with Papa Smurf is a must when visiting Júzcar! But you have to find him first!

I have heard that the Papa Smurf statue changes locations from time to time. However, we found him very easily – he was standing at the Mirador de la Torrichela viewpoint overlooking all the blue houses. But he might be elsewhere when you visit the village!

Location: Mirador de la Torrichela

10. Check out the view at Mirador de la Torrichela and sit down for tapas at Bar Torricheli!

Even if the Papa Smurf statue isn’t there, I highly recommend walking by the Mirador de la Torrichela viewpoint. It is located next to one of the streets that go through the village further up the slope so you will have most of the village below your feet!

Right next to the viewpoint, you will see a popular tapas bar Bar Torricheli. This is a great place if you want to sit down, relax, and have some lunch while admiring the view over the blue village.

Location: Mirador de la Torrichela – Bar Torricheli

11. Feeling adventurous? Ride the zip line or try other activities in the village!

If you visit Júzcar on the weekend it may be possible to go on an adventure route through the village that also includes riding a zipline over Júzcar. But there’s no guarantee that it will be open all year round.

The zipline is located one lever higher up right behind Mirador de la Torrichela viewpoint. You have to take the stairs between the houses and walk up to get there – just follow the ziplines!

As we walked around the village we saw a couple of spots for kids to enjoy some adventurous activities – like the climbing wall in the photo above and others. However, they looked a bit abandoned, so I’m not sure if you still can walk the route.

Despite some lack of love for the village that was clearly visible, the zipline was working like clockwork that day! It looked so fun! The line crosses the whole village from one side to another! Check it out, if you crave some adrenaline!

Location: Júzcar Zipline