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As
in the majority of municipalities that lie on the border between several regions,
some of the topographic features that can be seen in Carratraca also define
the landscape of Ronda, Antequera
or the Guadalhorce valley itself. Thus, its terrain is steep in the Alcaparaín
range and quite a bit gentler in the Baños and Aguas ranges. For more
information about property for sale
in Spain in or near Carratraca please contact us.
The vegetation consequently is adapted to the
terrain where it grows, so that in some areas there is a profusion of pine
trees and low brush and in others, those that make up the valley through which
the Cañas stream flows, there are olive groves and grain fields, with
market gardens and orchards in the places closest to the channel of the stream.
The village houses hug the slopes of the Sierra Blanquilla range, and many
places in it are excellent vantage points commanding beautiful scenic views.
Some traces have been discovered in the municipality that confirm the presence
of man in these lands since very ancient times. An Neolithic burial site,
along with a few paintings and ceramics, has been found in a 40 metre deep
chasm in the Alcaparán mountain. As for the Romans, who quickly discovered
the curative properties of the sulphurous waters that spring forth in Carratraca,
there have been coins found from the ages of Tiberius, Claudius and Caesar
at the La Glorieta archaeological site.
Notwithstanding this history, the origin of present-day Carratraca is found in the nineteenth century. It was a result of the expansion of a farmstead called Aguas Hediondas (Stinking Waters), which was the site of a spa and an eighteenth century hermitage. The influx of people coming to benefit from the curative properties of the waters necessitated the construction of a new spa, which was begun in 1847 and completed in 1856.
The distinguished people who visited here (Eugenia
de Montijo, the wealthy Heredia family, Cánovas del Castillo and the
English poet Lord Byron, among others) were the major attraction in developing
what today we would call major tourist traffic. It is estimated that in the
late nineteenth century some 5,000 persons per year came for the bathing season,
which affected the village’s economy. Its residents rented out their
houses and spent those months in the country. At the time, the village had
two casinos and a decidedly peculiar bullring, as well as the spa.
Fiestas
The Semana Santa (Holy Week) is the most significant celebration in Carratraca.
The big day is Good Friday, when the Virgen de los Dolores (Virgin of Sorrows)
and the image of the Crucified Christ are borne in a procession. The climax
of these dates, however, is less the processions than it is the “Pasión
de Carratraca” (Passion of Carratraca).
In contrast to other enactments, this one is produced under the canons of
the Autos Sacramentales (Sacramental Acts) and describes the life of Christ
from his entrance into Jerusalem until the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In
the production, which is carried out in the Plaza de Toros on Good Friday
and Holy Saturday, 120 villagers participate and become amateur actors for
a few days.
A traditional verbena (street party) with various games and dances is held
in the dawn hours of 24 June for the day of San Juan, all of this being connected
to the ancestral fire ritual. The Virgen de la Salud pilgrimage is on the
Sunday before the August patron saint fiestas. The image of the Virgin is
carried in a cart to the Las Cañas stream where a mass is said, and
at nightfall, the pilgrims return to the village.
The fiestas in honour of the Virgen de la Salud are held in mid-August. On
the fifteenth of that month, the Virgin travels in a procession through the
streets of the town to the Balneario, and there blesses its waters.
Food
This area’s most representative dishes are jarrete a la campera
(a shank preparation), callos (tripe) and chivo a la pastoril (a kid dish),
although other such dishes as berza (cabbage) and potaje de habichuelas and
potaje de acelgas (kidney bean and chard stews, respectively) are considered
native to this village. Tortillitas de pan rallado aceite, perejil, ajo y
huevos (grated bread omelettes with olive oil, parsley, eggs and garlic) and
cazuela de patatas con almendras (potato casserole with almonds) are lighter
and suitable for summer. As for confectionery, its tortas de almendra (almond
cakes) are famous, and those made with olive oil or bizcocho are no less so.
How to get there:
Come from Malaga on the A-357. This road
leads directly to the vicinity of Carratraca, where the access to the village
will be well marked.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Calle Glorieta, 2 (29551). Telephone: 952 458 016; Fax: 952 458
276.
Carratraca Property
Carratraca property for sale
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