Caparacena: Trails, Festivals and Sierra Elvira

Caparacena between Sierra Elvira and San Antón

Caparacena lies on the northern side of the Sierra Elvira. In the village, the parish bears the name Parroquia de San Antón-Caparacena. The local religious history also includes the Ermita de San Antonio (San Antón), a single-nave building with a pitched roof and an entrance. The landscape and religious architectural forms thus come together in a compact village setting.

The SL-A 305 to Sierra Elvira

The SL-A 305 Camino de Caparacena connects Caparacena with the Sierra Elvira and the Área Recreativa Pinos de la Moleona recreation area. Its starting point is at Plaza de la Iglesia in Caparacena. The hiking trail is 3.3 kilometres long, providing a clearly defined route for day planning. A crossing by wading is part of the intended route; it should be avoided during rainy periods. Water levels are therefore an important consideration before putting this route on the itinerary.

Trails and a water point for mountain biking

The Atarfe–MTB route runs along roads and trails through Caparacena. Cyclists can refill their water supplies in the village square. The square is therefore not only part of the village landscape, but is also connected to a specific station on the cycling route described. In this way, the cycling route described links roads and trails with a water point in the square.

San Antón: Festivities in January

The Fiestas de San Antón are celebrated in Caparacena in January in honour of San Antón. The traditional festivities take place after Christmas. The events described include a solemn mass followed by a procession in honour of San Antón, accompanied by the municipal band from Atarfe. The festival thus combines religious traditions with a date in the winter calendar.

Olla de San Antón and ensalada de la sierra

Cuisine is also part of the San Antón celebrations. At the festivities, the traditional Olla de San Antón is sampled; the olla served bears the name of the patron saint San Antón. Other typical dishes served during the celebrations include “ensalada de la sierra”. The mass, procession and these dishes are therefore all part of the same festival context. Anyone who follows the January tradition closely encounters the name San Antón both in the parish and chapel and on the plate.

Cueva Colomera and the limestone cliffs

Cueva Colomera I is located within the municipality of Caparacena, in the limestone cliffs east of the lower course of the Colomera River, near its confluence with the Cubillas River. Numerous lithic materials from the Mousterian were recovered in Cueva Colomera 1. The cave site thus leads from the trails and festivities to a landscape in which rivers, limestone cliffs and an archaeological context of finds are closely identified.

For the overarching travel overview: Atarfe.