Click
here to request info about property for sale in Cuevas Bajas Spain.
In
this area of Malaga the topography seems to forget
the wrinkles and torturous twists and turns that line the face of almost the
entire province and tends to level out, with the peak of La Cruz, at 768 metres
above sea level, standing out from the landscape as a reminder of greater
heights not far away. Except for this feature, the terrain, which is crossed
by several watercourses (the Las Pozas and Burriana streams and the copious
River Genil), seems to seek the horizontal amid gentle hills where olive groves
reign, while the Genil in its passage through the village provides space for
a few orchards and market gardens. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Cuevas Bajas please contact us.
There is confirmation that the first human settlements in this territory occurred
in the Paleolithic period, that is to say some 40,000 years ago. That, at
least, is what is indicated by tools found in the Cueva de la Belda (La Belda
cave) that point to a primitive population of hunters. There is also reliable
evidence of a Copper Age presence, such as a necropolis of artificial caves
that is considered among the most important in Spain. Of course, the Romans
also left signs of their passage through these lands: several villas and traces
of a road that is listed on the Antonine Itinerary.
A system of irrigation ditches that to a certain extent is still in use at Huerta del Marqués is clear proof of the occupation of this municipality by the Muslims, who also left some wells along the Genil. After the Christian conquest, King Juan II ceded the village to Antequera as payment to its castle commandant, Pedro de Narváez, for the assistance he had given in the conquest of the Belda fortress.
Fiestas
This locality holds its patron saint fiestas in honour of San Juan Bautista
(Saint John the Baptist) on 24 and 25 June, coinciding with the Semana Cultural
(Cultural Week). On these dates, it is customary to spend the day among the
poplars on the River Genil, where a grand paella party is organised. The summer
fair takes place in mid-August and lasts four days. This fiesta is the heir
to the ancient Royal Livestock Fair. Good Friday is the big day of the Semana
Santa (Holy Week), the day of the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) procession.
These religious events, which usually are accompanied by gastronomic traditions,
have been documented in Cuevas Bajas since the seventeenth century.
On Candelaria Day (2 February) effigies are burnt that, generally have been made by the children. The villagers give one another roscas de pan (a type of pastry) tied with a ribbon in celebration of San Blas day. In times past, these roscas were taken to the church to be blessed. On 25 April, the day of San Marcos, the Cueveños go out to the country looking for jaramagos (a plant with yellow flowers) in order to “tie up the Devil”, which means nothing more than tying the jaramagos in a knot. It’s a good excuse for spending a day in the country and eating the traditional hornazos (a rosca de pan with a hardboiled egg in the centre).
Food
Since it is part of the Antequera region,
porra (a cold soup) is one of Cuevas Bajas’ most characteristic dishes,
but perhaps gachas de mosto (a soup made of flour and seasonings and, in this
case, wine), migas (a dish made from fried bread crumbs), puchero and potaje
(stews) are more truly native recipes. As for confectionery, tortas de aceite
(olive oil cakes) and roscos de vino (a spiral pastry) are the most habitual
preparations, along with the local drink called “resoli”, which
is prepared from sweet anise, coffee beans and some fragrant plant or other
of the many to be found in this area.
How to get there:
Take the A-45 (N-331) from Malaga towards
Antequera. In the vicinity of that city, you
must connect with the A-92 only to immediately return to the N-331 on the
stretch that is no longer an expressway and go in the direction of Lucena.
Right at the border between the provinces of Malaga
and Cordoba turn onto the A-6212, which leads straight
to Cuevas Bajas.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Calle La Venta, 114. Telephone: 952 727 501/502; Fax: 952 729 679
Cuevas Bajas
Error! The codelock file is missing...