Cuevas Bajas - Malaga

The municipality of Cuevas Bajas is situated on the northern edge of the Comarca de Antequera. It is bordered to the north by Encinas Reales, to the east by Cuevas de San Marcos, to the south and southeast by Villanueva de Algaidas, to the southwest by Antequera,  to the west by Benameji and to the northeast by Lucena in the province of Cordoba.

The lands are bounded mostly by river channels: to the northeast by the arroyo (brook, stream, small river) de Las Pozas, to the southeast by the arroyo de Burriana and to the northwest and north by the river Genil, on whose banks stands Cuevas Bajas. Between the river Genil and the highest point of the municipality, the Cruz peak (768 m), the landscape consists mainly of very soft hills covered with olive groves, while between the banks of the Genil and the town there are some orchards and small areas of rain fed cereals.

The history of Cuevas Bajas is very old, although there is no written data to document the large number of caves in the area, and from which comes the name, they give a sense of the important prehistoric past in the township. Also close by there is evidence of many Roman settlements which are closely interrelated. Since the land was rich and had good agricultural production capacity, the Arabs took great pains in this area by improving the working equipment in the irrigation system, which is still used in the orchards, and olive cultivation with the consequent production of oil.

In order to defend their fertile land and its people, a fort was built which survived until 1424, when it was destroyed by the Spanish troops. As a token of appreciation to the city of Antequera for the economic and military aid given during this important campaign, Juan II donated the Dehesa and Belda Caves, which were distributed among the new settlers who were grouped into two areas around the caves, Cuevas Altas, which was near the Sierra, and Cuevas Bajas being the more remote.

Repopulation in the case of Cuevas Bajas was very difficult due to the destruction of the former village. From then until the nineteenth century there were endless disputes between the inhabitants of Cuevas Bajas, who wanted their own their own jurisdiction and Antequera, who resisted this. Finally, on August 7, 1818, King Ferdinand VII signed the long awaited Royal Warrant.

Monuments

Iglesia de San Juan (Church of St. John)
Antigua Fuente Municipal (Fountain)
Statue of San Antón
  
Archaeological
 
 La Moheda and Cedron
Oil Factory Chimney

Gastronomy

Typical Cuevas Bajas dishes are: migas, ’Porra fria’, casseroles and stews.
Also you can enjoy wine donuts include wine and ‘tortas de aceite’.

Directions

From Malaga, take the motorway A-45 (N-331) towards Antequera. Near to Antequerra  take the A-92 and immediately return to the N-331, in the section that it is no longer highway and in the direction of Lucena. Just at the borders of the provinces of Malaga and Cordoba turn onto the A-6212, leading directly to Cuevas Bajas.

Distances