Source of the River
Cuevas |
Cuevas del Becerro is one of the smallest
municipalities in the province, situated on a narrow spur between the road
and the stream of the same name. It is regarded as the northern entrance to
the Ronda Mountains region, and is an oasis of tranquillity among the high
mountains. The mean temperature is 20 degrees.
The town itself is similar in layout to other
towns of the Serranía de Ronda. The houses are generally low, many of them
with a back yard for keeping animals in. The origin of the name is not very
clear, although there are various theories on the subject. One theory is
that a figure made of gold, in the shape of a calf (becerro), was found in
one of the numerous caves in the area. A local legend tells of a calf lost
in a cave and discovered there due to his braying, this rather
inconsequential incident giving rise to the origin of the town’s name. One
thing clear, nevertheless, is the Roman presence in the area, testified to
by the remains of Roman pottery ovens found here. Neolithic remains have
also been found in some areas, including the western and northern slopes of
the Cerro del Castillón, the Fuente del Zorro area and the north-eastern
border of the Cerro de las Palomas. The
local economy is based on agriculture, with wheat, olives, barley, chickpeas
and sunflowers being the most common crops. Vegetables for mainly home
consumption are grown in the small vegetable patches near the town. Among
the most beautiful parts of the municipality is that known as the
Castillejo, filled with almond trees and wild flowers.
Places
to be visited
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Around
Cuevas
Cuevas del Becerro is situated in a valley of great natural
beauty, surrounded by mountains that have protected it throughout
the ages. The municipality reaches to the north of the Sierra
Espartosa, a prolongation of the Sierra de los Merinos, whose
average peak height is 780 metres. Here there are sharp slopes and
sudden walls of rock, running down to the Serrato area and crossed
east to west by the river Cuevas.
Castillejos de Cuevas del Becerro
To the south of the municipality of Cuevas del Becerro, at more
than 800 metres high, stands a defensive structure that dominates
the town. Within sight of the neighbouring towers of Viján, the
Torrecilla de Teba and the tower of Ortegícar, this is a small
fortress built in an irregular shape. The entire top of the hill
was protected by a wall made of rubble, with only the foundations
surviving the passage of time, apart from a section that looks to
the east of about one and a half metres high. There was once a
settlement at this place, and as we can see from ceramic pieces
found close to the surface, we can place it sometime in the 9th
century. The presence of the water source on the side of the hill
perhaps explains its reason for being there.
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Where
to eat |
Venta Vista
Alegre. Specialising in stews. Ctra. Ronda-Campillos.
Tel: 952 162 155.
Restaurante Ventorrillo.
Traditional cuisine. Ctra. Ronda-Campillos. Tel: 952 162 071.
Restaurante Chez Pepe. Home
cooking. Ctra. Ronda-Campillos. Tel: 952 163 055.
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Where
to sleep |
Rural
accommodation Cortijo Nuevo. Tel: 952 162 097.
Rural accommodation Huerta Nueva.
Tel: 952 276 229.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
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Streets and houses in
Cuevas del Becerro |
FIESTAS
The festival in honour of the town’s
patron saint, San Antonio Abad, take place on January 17th and
on September 3rd, 4th and 5th. The day of
the Candelarias takes place on February 2nd, with bonfires in
the streets in remembrance of the traditional fires lit when the labourers
went out to work on the land. Carnival time is very important in Cuevas
del Becerro, when various competitions are organised for the people of the
place. One of the most traditional festivals in the town is the Día de la
Vieja, the Day of the Old Person. In the middle of the Lenten period it is
customary here for everybody to head out to the countryside to eat,
stoning a huge doll they bring with them.
The Romería de San Isidro takes place in the middle
of May, with organised meals in the countryside and music and dancing. The
emigrants of the place have their day here too, at the end of July. And
finally, in September, there is All Saints Day, when the people of the
town eat chestnuts in the countryside.
GASTRONOMY
Pork is the most traditional food product of Cuevas
del Becerro, the other popular dish here being chickpea stew. In general,
the cuisine of the area is similar to that of other towns in the Ronda
Mountains, with most dishes based on the products of the local soil.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Part of the municipality extends into the
Navetas, in the Sierra de Carrasco, where the ground is covered mainly in
oak trees. There is, nevertheless, a large portion of the land given over
to cultivation. Here in the mountains skies one sees the majestic eagle,
the pilgrim hawk, the royal owl and the kestrel, while the animals on the
ground include the mountain cat, the roe deer and the mongoose.
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