Convento de Santa María La Bella, Franciscan temple near El Terrón port in Lepe, Spain
Convento de Santa María La Bella is a Franciscan temple complex featuring seventeen cells arranged around a central courtyard with a water cistern, plus a refectory, kitchen, and storage rooms. The ruins occupy the space between El Terrón port and Torre del Catalán, positioned near where the Piedras River once flowed into the coast.
The convent was founded in 1513 by Francisco de Zúñiga and Leonor Manrique, replacing an earlier 15th-century structure on the site. The religious community eventually abandoned it in 1835, bringing its active use to an end.
Devotion to the Virgin was central to this place for centuries. Visitors can now experience how locals gather each August to honor this religious tradition that shaped the community's identity.
The site is easily reached on foot from El Terrón port or by walking along the coast toward Torre del Catalán. The ruins remain open and accessible in a flat landscape, with no significant barriers to exploring the remains.
A sculptural monument created by artist Francisco Rodríguez Aguaded in 1985 marks the convent's location and importance. The memorial remains often overlooked by visitors, yet it silently bridges the past with the present.
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