Cájar

Cajar is a municipality situated in the heart of the Vega de Granada, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, just on the southern boundary of the Vega, where the land begins to climb steeply towards the mountain forests. Cájar has managed to combine great harmony in the traditional architecture of its oldest neighborhoods with residential villas of this century and modern buildings within new developments. A curious fact worthy of mention is that the town is the smallest municipality of Andalusia, with only two square kilometres, but within it there are several convents, hence the area is popularly known as ‘the little Vatican’.

There is evidence of a settlement here in the remote past, also in the area remains of primitive men who belonged to the ‘Culture of Algar.’, these remains date back to 2,500 years BC.

It was a settlement called CUIYAR, later to become the palace of a high ranking Arab (who was in enamored of this land and its environment) which would later become the primitive CAXAR, whose Arabic name means ‘place where a lot of silk was produced.’ There were around 400 producers of silk here.

It was here after a battle between the Moors and Christians, called the ‘Battle of La Zubia’, that Queen Isabel came to see Granada from this point of view (August 1491).

Back in the sixteenth century San Juan de Dios journeyed to Cájar , every week, to collect alms from the farmers for the Hospital in Granada. The chronicler ‘Henríquez de Jorquera’ wrote in 1600: ‘This is an area of valuable land, where the people pay much to the crown, as they are rich, due to the abundant crops of silk, wine and bread.’ Some time after flax, hemp and later potatoes were also grown, confirming the wealth of which Henríquez de Jorquera had written.

This was a predominantly agricultural area. Now, both the industrial sector and the services sector are being developed, with many small family businesses being given help with initiatives to this end. For various reasons, among which is its proximity to Granada, Cájar has become a more residential area, which has led to something of a construction boom. All this led to rapid growth in Cájar, especially in the ‘floating population,’ being used by many of its inhabitants as a small commuter town, providing a great diversity of people and interests, and in many cases Cájar is actually a second residence.

Monuments

Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores (Parish Church of Our Lady of Sorrows)

Gastronomy

Almond soup. ‘Granada’ soup. Bean stew. Migas with spinach stew. Roast goat. Roast lamb. Rabbit grenadine. Fried potatoes.

Candy: Cupcakes. Pestinos. Donuts. Biscuits.

Directions

Leave Granada. Take Avenida de Andalucía. Pass Huétor-Vega. Follow signs to Cájar.

Distances