Setenil de las Bodegas

The amazing charm of Andalusia is that it likes to surprise :) You will be impressed not only by the architecture and beautiful landscapes, but also by small, seemingly ordinary towns. One of the unusual ones is certainly one of the pueblos blancos - Setenil de las Bodegas.  

Located in the province of Cadiz, along the banks of the Rio Trejo River, it is actually embedded  between the walls of a steep gorge, which is a rocky canyon of the river. 

The houses are embedded in the ravine and glued to the huge boulder that hangs over the ceilings of the inhabitants.  A maze of narrow streets runs through the city, where buildings almost touch each other and the rocks are towering, taking a lot of the light. While walking through the nooks and crannies of the city, you can feel the power of nature here,  but also a man's attempt to befriend her and "tame" her.  This was done for a reason, because  For centuries, the boulder crushing the city was the perfect protection at the time when the Moors settled there.  

Tradition has it that the name of the city comes from the Latin Roman expression  Septem nihil  ("seven times nothing"). Christians besieged Setenil several times, before conquering it only after the seven sieges in 1484. In the 15th century the ending "de las Bodegas" (vineyards) was added to the name in honor of  crops  grapevines from which excellent wine, known and appreciated in the entire region, was produced. However, she destroyed most of the vines in 1860.  an epidemic of phylloxera - an aphid that ruined the production of wine in the corridors and caves beneath the city.  

Walking the streets of Setenil de las Bodegas  it is worth paying attention to the town towering over the town  16th-century gothic church of the Virgin Mary from the Incarnation (Iglesia de la Encarnación),  the restored Tribute Tower (Torre del Homenaje) which is the remains of an Arab castle,  the chapel of St. Benedict and the building of the old town hall. The city is surrounded by the Snowy Mountains, famous for their numerous caves, the most interesting of which are: Hoyos del Pilar, Hoyos de Lifa and Cuevas del Moro.

The town, except for glued houses  to the river canyon and  gardens and  groves  The olive groves on the roof are also famous  from the production of olive oil, honey,  the best chorizo,  and the local pork  cerdo  is second to none. You can still here  try a delicious local  Principe Alfonso wines, the vineyard of which is located in  former monastery. You must try cheeses, ham and tuna paste at Antonio's Restaurant  Abaceria El Puente at  C / Cuevas del Sol 85.

Setenil de las Bodegas is located 1.5 hours from Málaga and only 17 km from Ronda.  It's worth going there  not only for amazing views,  but also good Spanish cuisine of local restaurants, which I sincerely recommend;)