You've probably heard of Spain's white villages which attract tourists in their thousands every year, but did you know that Spain also has a blue village? Also known as Smurf village, Júzcar, a village in the Málaga province of Andalusia, has been attracting tourists for years thanks to its unique postcard landscape. Let's take a closer look at Júzcar, Spain's blue village.
Where is Smurf village in Spain?
Júzcar is a village found in southern Spain in the Andalusian province of Málaga. This "Smurf village", as it is commonly known, is just 22 kilometres from Ronda and approximately 113 kilometres from the city of Málaga. Found in the stunning Valle del Genal in the Serrania de Ronda, Júzcar has long been a popular destination for rural and outdoor tourism lovers and was formerly one of Spain's white villages.
Why is Júzcar in Spain blue?
Júzcar became the first "Smurf town" in the world in June 2011. The pretty Andalusian village, home to just over 200 people, was painted blue in 2011 as part of a publicity stunt by Sony Pictures in a bid to promote The Smurfs 3D movie at the time. As well as being painted blue, the town also became home to murals and statues of the little blue cartoon creatures brightening up the streets, known in Spain as "Los Pitufos". These blue houses in Spain quickly began to attract tourists from across the globe who couldn't get enough of Júzcar's postcard landscape.
Is Júzcar still blue?
The good news for those still wishing to capture Júzcar for their Instagram feed is that the village is still blue and will remain blue. This is in spite of controversy in recent years where Júzcar reportedly “lost the authorisation to market itself as a Smurf town”, according to the local council.
Therefore, while all reference to the Smurfs has been removed from the village, a referendum determined that the village would continue to be blue. As of today, there is no date for reverting to white, given the fact that Júzcar has greatly benefited from tourism as Spain's only blue village.
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