Cuevas Bajas: Culture, Festivals and Trails along the Genil

Culture

In the centre of Cuevas Bajas, the present-day Iglesia Parroquial de San Juan Bautista stands in a square. It dates from the first half of the 18th century and was built over a smaller earlier church. The interior is characterised by three naves separated by round arches resting on sturdy pillars; on the left side is the Capilla del Sagrario, regarded as an unusual feature of the church.

A signpost more than 15 metres long welcomes arrivals on Calle Archidona. The historic monuments of Cuevas Bajas include the Hornos del Cedrón. There stands a former 19th-century mill that was used to grind olives for oil production; the counterweight tower, with a regular floor plan and hipped roof, has been preserved. In the Jewish-influenced hamlet of El Cedrón, a recently restored communal oven preserves the local history. The Moorish-influenced hamlet of La Moheda also preserves an old public fountain along the road.

Festivals and Cuisine

Holy Week in Cuevas Bajas has predecessors dating back to the 17th century and includes processions on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Zanahoria Morá festival takes place every year on the first Sunday in December and includes activities for children as well as gastronomic, musical and cultural events.

The San Marcos festival on 25 April includes the local tradition of “Atar al diablo”, in which a knot is tied in a jaramago plant. The San Marcos tradition also includes tortas de aceite and hornazo, a ring-shaped bread with an egg baked inside it. The San Juan festival combines a pilgrimage in the poplar groves along the Genil with a traditional paella meal. The Fiesta del Agua y la Siembra takes place every year in the last week of July and marks the sowing season for Cuevas Bajas’s characteristic purple carrot.

Resoli is a traditional drink from Cuevas Bajas made with aguardiente, coffee, sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel and lemon verbena. Family recipes vary and are passed down through the generations.

Nature

The Noria de la Agusadera is a 19th-century irrigation waterwheel that drew water from the Genil in the La Agusadera area. It blends into the landscape of the Soto del Río Genil.

The route in Cuevas Bajas described in “Aves y Paisajes” is linear, 3,100 metres long and rated easy. It passes through riverside vegetation, scrubland, olive groves and cereal fields. It includes a birdwatching point near Lago de los Fernández.

Things to Do

La ruta de la fuente connects the Fuente del Pilar with the Fuente del Botijo and leads to important sights and local traditions in Cuevas Bajas. When rafting on the Genil, the meeting point and the relevant section of the activity are in Cuevas Bajas. The recommended season for rafting begins in April; in summer, the river carries more water. The section described is suitable for family outings because of its flat and downhill stretches.

Other places for your Andalusia research are Los Villalones, Alameda, Salares, Benalmadena, Casares, Istán, Cuevas De San Marcos and Almargen.

For the overarching travel overview: Málaga.