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Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación

The municipality of Cútar is in the interior of the Axarquía, 16 kilometres from Vélez, from where one leaves on the Benamargosa road to get to the village. The journey takes slightly less than 30 minutes, and once there it is advisable to leave one’s car outside the urban centre, given that most of the narrow, twisting streets of this typically Moorish village are closed to traffic. The most interesting parts of the village are calle La Fuente, so called because it leads to an ancient fountain dating from Moorish times, and calle Rodríguez de la Fuente, which passes under some of the houses that are supported by semicircular arches. The origin of the name would seem to be the Arabic Cautzar, meaning "Fountain of Paradise." But there were people living here long before the Moors arrived. Archaeological remains found in the area show the presence of human life here from the end of the Neolithic period to the beginning of the Bronze Age. The Moors, however, built a fortress on the spot, since destroyed, and it was around this that the urban centre grew up. Many historians believe that the Battle of the Axarquía, in which the Christians suffered a resounding defeat, took place in Cútar. From that time too we have the "Legend of the Bird of Death", which tells the strange story of a hunter. There had been mysterious deaths in the countryside, and one night the hunter was surprised to see an apparition in the form of a bird that turned into a woman. She led the hunter to a crystal palace situated in a cave in the middle of a gully. Once inside, the hunter discovered the bodies of the dead in one of the rooms. To leave the place, as he understandably wished to do quickly, he told the woman that he wanted to look at the stars. Outside again, he pulled out his dagger and held it up like a cross, thereby escaping with his life from that place.

Places to be visited

Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación This church is situated in the higher part of the village. It dates from the 16th century, although restoration work on it was carried out in the 18th century and in the middle of the 20th century. The architecture is Mudéjar, the interior divided into three naves on pillars. A small side room was built on in the 18th century, and at the end of that century the most interesting part of the building, a chapel in the rococo style with a coloured triumphal arch, was added. Following the restoration work of the 1950s, this is now situated at the foot of the church to hold the image of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles and San Roque. Archaeological remains Remains from the Neolithic to the beginning of the Bronze Age have been found in the Cerro de la Peña del Hierro area. Ceramic pieces and Roman coins have been found in an area between the Paome stream and the river Benamargosa. Ceramic pieces from Moorish times have also been found in the Cerro de Cútar area. It is believed that the castle that gave the village its name was once on this spot. Moorish Fountain To the south of the village is an ancient vaulted square structure that is a Moorish fountain. It is in a perfect state of conservation, and is only one of its kind in the entire area. According to 16th century documents, this was known as the "aina alcaharia", which means "The Fountain of the Farm House." Salto del Negro (El Negro Waterfall) The leafy landscape that surrounds Benamargosa is very beautiful, especially for the numerous streams in the area. There are also very pretty spots like the Salto del Negro, which can be reached by taking the route on foot to Comares, following the river to the Salto del Negro and La Zubia areas, and from there to Cútar. Rural Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in Spanish)

Interior of the church

FIESTAS
The feria in August is one of the most important festive events in Cútar, with many people who have left the town coming back to be there during the days and nights of music and dancing in the streets. Although the feria, in honour of the patron saint, San Roque, does not actually begin until August 11^th, various other events take place in the days leading up to it. The feria itself starts on the Friday night with a fireworks display, followed by the opening of the Official Caseta, and then the election of the Queen of the Feria and her Ladies of Honour takes place. Mass is said in the church the next day in honour of San Roque and the Virgen de los Ángeles. In the afternoon there are ribbon races and processions, and a huge paella is made in the Plaza de San Roque at lunchtime on the Sunday. At five in the morning the next day, the event ends with the traditional firecrackers.

GASTRONOMY
The most traditional dish of Cútar is soup with chickpeas and chorizo sausage, and many variations of this are made in the village. There are also many dishes traditional to the Axarquía as a whole, mainly the various soups. The village is also known for the quality of its pastries. The land around Cútar produces excellent sweet wine, which is especially good as a table wine. These products can be found in many of the local shops and private houses in the village.

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