Quéntar

Quentar is a town situated in the central part of the Vega of Granada, about 5 km from the city of Granada, close to the southeastern section. It borders the municipalities of Granada, Cenes de la Vega, Monachil, Cájar and La Zubia. The town sits on the banks of the river Monachil, lying close to the capital, Granada, in the foothills of Sierra Nevada, most economic activity is centred around hotels with excellent steakhouses, agriculture, primarily wine production, and livestock. The town serves as a second residence to many of the inhabitants of the provincial capital or as a dormitory town because of its proximity and accessibility thanks to the Ronda Sur de Granada.

The Arabs settled in the Vega of Granada in numerous cortijos or farmsteads, these being the original nuclei of current town of Huétor-Vega, which in the Muslim period was called "Hins-Watha". They settled here for over 700 years and created a network of canals that survive to this day, perfectly regulated by locks and gates. In these dry lands they cultivated olive trees, vines and mulberry trees, and in the Vega (meadows) many different varieties of fruit and vegetables.

After the surrender of Santa Fe in 1492, the Moors from Granada endured hard times until their final expulsion by Philip II in 1570, when, on November 1st, the last Moors of  Güetor-Caxar, as the town was then called, were collected together in the Church and expelled from the Kingdom. From this point on, the town and the lands were almost deserted and the fields and ditches useless. To solve this problem, Felipe II ordered the repopulation of the town by settlers from Andalusia, Castile, Aragon and Levante.

From this period date the first written records of the town, Los Libros de Apeos (in the Royal Chancery of Granada), written in 1572 by Don Alonso de Frías before Judge Don Alonso de Villalba. They detail the properties, farms and population as well as the demarcation and delineation of the town and the explicit conditions under which repopulation was carried out around Granada.

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were years of agricultural production in Huétor-Vega (flax, hemp, wine and oil, and the industries that these generate). In the mid-nineteenth century, the town had about 1,000 inhabitants, two flour mills, an oil press and various recreational houses visitors from Granada could enjoy.

In the early twentieth century a profound change in the way of life took place for the ‘Hueteños.’ The industrial revolution (with electricity since 1895) made necessary the adaptation of crops (beet, potato, tobacco).

In 1922 the electric tramcar line linking the city of Granada with the town was inaugurated, thereby greatly improving the marketing of all products. The line remained open until 1974.
In 1960 the river Monachil was channeled and clean drinking water came to Huétor-Vega.

In the past 40 years the municipality has been provided with social infrastructure and equipment, both cultural and sporting. There is now adequate sanitation, well laid out streets, gardens, parks and roads, 2 schools have been built, the new Ayuntimiento (City Hall,) la Residencia de la Tercera Edad (Centre for the elderly), Social Centre and Health Center for primary care.

Due to its proximity to Granada, Huétor-Vega has become a residential area in a municipality of strong population growth and remarkable economic development.

Sights

Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Maria de la Encarnacion (Parish Church of St. Mary of the Incarnation)
Carmen de San Rafael
Barrios de los Corteses and los Penones and la Cuestecilla de los Pozuelos, with Moorish architecture and urban design based on intricate streets and whitewashed houses with courtyards.

Gastronomy

The queen of the tables of Huétor Vega is fresh beans with fried ham, one of the most typical dishes of the gastronomy of Granada. The great tradition of wine to accompany each dish gives wines that are produced locally, popularly known as "vinos de los neveros, wine of the snowfields." In addition, in the Vega Huétor area you can taste delicious sausages and cured meats. Also traditional in local cooking recipes are migas and kid prepared in various ways.

Directions

Granada Exit towards: Huétor Vega - Cájar - Monachil - Alhambra - Sierra Nevadas. At the roundabout, take exit 3 Continue: GR-3202 / Camino Bajo de Huetor heading to Huétor Vega - Cájar - Monachil.

Distances