Cútar, a small municipality in the interior of the Axarquia region, was one of the ‘Cuatro Villas’ – the Four Villages – along with Almachar, El Borge and Comares. It has the Málaga mountains as one boundary and the Rio de la Cueva as the other, making it a rich agricultural area.
In the northern districts of the municipality, La Luna de León and La Peña de Hierro, it is mainly cereal crops, almonds and olives, although you will also find some excellent examples of traditional crafts, such as articles made from esparto grass. In the districts of La Zubia, Salto del Negro (the waterfall) and La Molina, the river makes it ideal for the cultivation of tropical fruits and in the central area around the town of Cútar itself, the Muscatel grape is the main crop.
The area has the remains of prehistoric settlements, but it wasn’t until the Arabs built a fortress nearby that Cútar sprang into existence. The town is divided into four main districts (barrios), el Alto, el Bajo, Barrio de la Fuente and Barrio de la Ermita, and is, as one would expect, very Arabic in style and layout, although very little of the Arabic heritage remains.
Statistics
Area: 19 square kilometres
Altitude: 331 mtrs above sea level
Population: +/- 700
Distance from Nerja: 40 km
Driving Time: +/- 45 mins
Location
Places of Interest
16th century Iglesia Paroquial de la Virgen de la Encarnacióndel, which was reformed in the 17th century.
Fuente Arabé
Archaeological remains
Local Cuisine
Local specialities include: Ajoblanco Axarqueño (chilled garlic soup with almonds, bread, oil and vinegar). Gazpacho (chilled tomato, garlic and vegetable soup). Sopa de Maimones (oil-based soup) and Puchero de Garbanzos (chick pea broth) and Milk Cakes. Muscatel wine is the local tipple.
Local Festivals
Semana Santa
Fiesta de las Zubías (End of May)
Romeria (End of May)
Noche de San Juan (June 24th)
Festividad del Corpus (June)
Fiesta de San Roque (August)
Fiesta de Monfí (October 16th)
Useful Info
Town Hall
Tel: 952 554 247
Fax: 952 554 229
Where to Stay
Alcalde
Arroyo
29718 Cútar
Tel: 952276229
Fax: 952276556
[email protected]
Antonio de la Peña
calle Obispo Muñoz Herrera 6
29718 Cútar
Tel:952276229
Fax: 952276556
[email protected]
Casa La Fuente
29718 Cútar
Tel: 952540914
Casa Molino
29718 Cútar
Tel: 902100075
Los Chopos
Rio Cútar
29718 Cútar
Tel: 952408751