In Andalucia most of the Pueblo Blancos – the whitewashed villages – are most often located on mountain tops and visible on a long distance. With Setenil de las Bodegas it's different. When the people of Andalucia settled they usually built there fortified towns on a hilltop. Setenil is different because of its location at the bottom of the ravine that the Trejo River has excavated. The houses at the bottom are built into the cliffs which is what makes this town unique.
I have just returned from a week in Spain where one of the things we did was to do a day trip from Malaga to Ronda and Setenil. Although Setenil is not as well known as Ronda, it is arguably the most special of the two. I had never heard about this place, but my sister and traveling companion, knew about this little town. Since it is only a twenty minute drive from Ronda, we chose to include a visit here too.
As we approached via the road from Ronda, it wasn't until we drove into town that we saw that there is actually a town here. We chose to park on the outskirts of town and then stroll around. Something we found out was a sensible choice. The streets are extremely narrow and inside the "center" the streets are all one-way. We walked along narrow and steep alleys down to the bottom of the ravine to the houses that have cliffs as roofs. Only the facade of the houses are visible and looks like they are growing out of caves under the mountain.
It looks like a rock that has pushed itself down between the houses. But it is the houses that are built underneath. Since we were here on a day with some rain, it was okay to walk in the streets with the cliffs hanging outwards. They provide natural protection. Apart from that, it was an amazing feeling to walk underneath!
The road leads us across the bridge to the «sunny» side of town. The photos above shows the street we followed. Huge plants of 10 -12 meters hang out over the rock and down to the street. Now we were right at the bottom of the ravine with the river on our left and the cafes on our right hand.
Then it was up the narrow streets, past houses with colorful doors, flower pots and orange trees. On a sign you will find some information about the city. The name Setenil comes from "septem nihil" which means "seven times nothing". It refers to the fact that it took seven attempts for the Christians to conquer the city. It was not until the eighth attempt in 1448 that they succeeded in expelling the Arabs. However, it is known that people in this area have lived in caves way back to the Stone Age.
On the outskirts and on a hill above the town lies the fort built sometime in the Middle Ages. A good and strategic location. I am not sure how much of it is intact or if it was open to the public. We didn't check that out.
Although Setenil de las Bodegas has a fort and a church worth visiting, it is first and foremost the town itself and its location in the ravine, which is the real attraction. In my opinion the best way to experience this town, is to walk around. It's so small and easy to walk through most of the streets within a few hours. We passed a hotel, several cafes and bars, so it is possible to take a little break and get some food and drinks.
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hi dear @digi-me, this town is amazing !! I have been many times in Spain and I had never even heard of her before today !! but I go to meterla it immediately to put it in the destinations to visit because it has a unique atmosphere !! and beautiful photos, thanks ;-))
congratulations on your work and your curie rating
Thanks a lot :) I hope you get the chance to go there. Ronda is well known and this little town is only a 20 -25 minutes drive north of Ronda.
The photographs are spectacular. The town looks like a place in the Greek islands (by the white houses). You make a great tour. The Costa del Sol of Spain is very beautiful and you can discover special places. Thanks for this ride. Cheers @digi-me
Thanks. It is a spectacular place. I am sure the area has more small gems like this one. There are so many places I wanted to see, but didn't have the time. But I am sure I will be back :)
Nice photos!
You must visit Guadix, near Granada, also Spain.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Guadix
Thanks for telling me about Guadix. I was in Granada, but didn't know about Guadix. Actually there are some caves in Granda as well, where people used to live. Granada itselt is a wonderful city. I liked it very much.
Guadix is a must :)
This one week trip was my first time ever to Spain, but I am definitive going to go back. I loved it :)
Don't forget to visit ♥️Portugal♥️ ;)
I won't :) I am visiting both the Azores and Portugal next year in september & october :)
Nice! 😉
I didn't know this city under the rocks. With the terrace of the bar under the cliff, impressive...
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 20/25 - need recharge?)
I didn't know about it either! Yeah, look at that rock hanging over the street .... being there was amazing.
I'm looking on the map where exactly this city is... Maybe during a trip in Spain, it seems to worth a day visit as you did.
It is worth it. Most people who visit south of Spain like Malaga, take a daytrip to Ronda. If you are allready going there Setenil de las Bodegas is only a short drive from Ronda.
That is one awesome town, the way they built these house beneath the rocks is so clever. And I love the photo where the rock looks like it's stuck between the buildings!!!
You are right! never seen anything like that this town. That rock looks amazing. Walking under it even more!
Wow! It is indeed a special place. I like its location and I love love love that huge rock between those houses. It's crazy how we people can adapt to the situation. They simply built a house around the rock! Great engineering.
Thank you for sharing! Hope you're doing well :)
Thanks for stopping by :) And you are right about how people adapt. The most impressive piece of rock in that town, is the one you mention. We walked underneath it. In one of the house there is a small shop! It was really and out of this world experience.
Have a great week- end :)
Ulla
nice little town
Crazy! Thanks for sharing these interesting photos with us!
That's the most creative architecture I've ever seen.
Yeah, you don't really believe if, it you are not there. Never seen anything like it.
Incredible architecture, amazing and definitely unique town. I have to put a reminder to visit it when I go to Andalucia next time.
Thanks for the great post and photos!
You are welcome :) I simply had to share. I think many people might not be aware of this little town.
...and I thought that Beniarda is something special with narrow streets.. :)
definitly narraow streets here too....
What an amazing place
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Thanks a lot :)
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Thanks a lot :)