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Façade of an old family home

The municipality of Sierra de Yeguas lies in the north of the province, bordering with the provinces of Seville and Córdoba, and it most curious claim to fame, geographically speaking, is that the town is said to be in the dead centre of Andalucía. It is 100 kilometres from Granada, Córdoba, Sevilla, Malaga and Jerez de la Frontera, about an hour’s drive from all of these cities. The landscape of the area is a cross between the northern part of Antequera and the typical Seville countryside, with the Sierra de los Caballos (highest peak: 748 metres above sea level) between the two. This mountain range is not, in fact, very high, and most of it is covered in oak trees and bushes, although the rather flat land around it makes it visible from a great distance. Nearby is the area known as the Llanos de Navahermosa, an important agricultural zone that used to be flooded, like the old Laguna de Herrera, no longer in existence. The area has been lived in since Neolothic times, at least, as we can see from various archaeological remains found there. Roman remains have also been discovered here, the most interesting being the hot baths and the burial grounds. It is believed that, during the conquest of Antequera, the Infante (Prince) Don Fernando spent the night in Sierra de Yeguas. In 1549, the Villa fell under the jurisdiction of Estepa. The coat of arms of the Marqueses of Estepa can be seen in the parish church. In fact, the jurisdiction of the place up to the year 1874 is interesting: in the religious sense, it fell under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See up to this date, while in the civil sense it was part of the Kingdom of Seville.

Places to be visited

Urban landscape The actual layout of Sierra de Yeguas is not conditioned by the landscape around it, since it was built on fairly flat ground. Most of the houses have been built in the style of the region, although there are some architectural elements unique to the town. The other urban centre in the municipality is Navahermosa, situated to the north of Sierra de Yeguas in the valley of the Albina stream. Here are many small vegetable plots, watered by the stream that runs through the wide valley. Agriculture The area, for its farming and ecological value, falls under the protection of a special government plan for the province of Malaga, known as the Plan de Protección del Medio Físico. The undulating landscape is covered mainly in olive and almond trees, and almost 70 percent of the local working population is involved in agriculture. There are various co-operatives in the municipality, again almost all in the production of olive oil, although there are two involved in asparagus farming and sales. In fact, asparagus has become an important commodity in the local economy, and despite some deficiencies in the area of marketing, agriculture as a business has been a resounding success in Sierra de Yeguas. Attempts are being made, nevertheless, to introduce other industries to the area, like textile manufacture.

Where to eat

Restaurante Bar Hnos. Ponce.  Navahermosa, Restaurante Bar Pepe Rubillo.  C/Cruz, 4, Restaurante Bar Espejo.  C/Vicente Aleixandre, 1.  Restaurante Bar El Rincón. Plaza de Andalucía, 9, Restaurante Bar Tres Columnas.  C/Real, 1, Restaurante Bar Francisco  C/Real, 3, Restaurante Bar El Pintao.  C/Cruz, 60, Restaurante Bar Chamizo.  C/Cruz, 62, Restaurante Bar El Mesón.  C/Iglesias, 28.

Where to sleep

For information on accommodation in Sierra de Yeguas, call the Town Hall on 952 746 002. Rural Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in Spanish)

A view of the town

FIESTAS
The main festival in the town is the Feria of San Bartolomé, which takes place from August 24^th to 26^th. The romería in honour of San Isidro is held on May 15^th, in which the people of the place dress in traditional Andalusian costumes. In the Festival of the Inmaculada, on December 8^th, the image of the Virgin is carried through the streets in procession. The annual carnival is normally held during the third week in February, and the biggest festive event of all in Sierra de Yeguas is Holy Week, with the traditional singing and kissing of the Virgin’s hand on Good Friday. There is also a Festival of Asparagus held here every year during April, when people come from far and wide to taste this delicious food of the area.

GASTRONOMY AND CRAFTWORK
Salads of fried pepper, Andalusian porra and fried breadcrumbs are the main specialities of the town, although many people come here to try the gazpacho soup, the game dishes like rabbit and partridge and the mushrooms, as well as other local dishes. In the field of craft, there is a great tradition of ironwork and woodwork here, done exclusively, of course, by men, while the women of the place like to work in embroidery and crochet.

SEVILLA AND TRIANA
The municipality is divided into two parts by the Albina stream, and rather curiously, the two riverbanks have traditionally been called Sevilla and Triana, the names of Andalucía’s capital and its best-known suburb.

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