Cuevas Bajas is in the northern limits of the administrative region of Antequera, at 72 kilometres from Málaga. It is a place of great archaeological and historical interest and in its municipal district is located the Cave of Belda, in which hunting implements from the Paleolithic Era have been found and it is the most important necropolis of artificial caves in the whole of Spain. Furthermore, the itinerary of Antonino (2 B.C.) picks up the existence of one of the roads of the Roman Empire. And more recently, it is the interesting church of “San Juan”, dating from the eighteenth century.
Its population has oscillated since the distribution of land made at the end of the fifteenth century in the territories of Cuevas Bajas and Cuevas Altas, going from the 1.300 inhabitants in the nineteenth century, to the 2.500 at the beginning of the twentieth century ,until reaching its present population of 1.500.
Cuevas Bajas is a town that stands out for its authenticity and its natural environment.
Activities in Cuevas Bajas
If you are going to visit Cuevas Bajas we are going to recommend some of the places you should not miss:
- Church of San Juan Bautista from the 18th century. (Map)
- Calle Real (Royal Street) (Map)
- Casa de los Cristales (House of the Crystals)
- House of Felipe Quintana
- Villages of Cedrón and La Moheda, both founded in the Muslim period.
We can also see an old chimney, which is nothing more than the remains of an old oil factory.
Hiking and nature
If you want to enjoy the beautiful natural spectacle of the area, we recommend a visit to the bird observatory. You will find it on your way to the Agusadera waterwheel, with surroundings dating from the 19th century (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/UHgPZUkv1zbBD1DQ9). You can continue until the Aceña whaterwheel, with lots of parking space and a wonderful natural surrounding (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/hDRvdxcrxR3uj74YA)
Another option is to climb the Cerro de la Cruz; at 768 metres high it offers beautiful views of the whole region. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/U6MDSj8zM9qQGTGx6
Active tourism
There are options to practice active sports in Cuevas Bajas. Some business offer you activities in the area:
- Rafting
- Paintball
- Kayak
- Canyoning
- Zip-line
- Rappelling
- Guided hiking
If you are into active tourism, the following business offering the activities above might be of your interest:
Local festivities
Its local festivities are celebrated in honour of “San Juan” on the 24th and 25th June and the traditional summer fair takes place in the middle of August.
Gastronomy
We recommend strolling the streets of Cuevas Bajas and trying the local gastronomy. The gastronomy of Cuevas Bajas is the typical cuisine of the extensive region of Antequera; try “la porra fría”, to which we add typical dishes like must or grape- juice pap, “las migas” and the traditional and extensive recipes of stews (pucheros y potajes).
How to get to Cuevas Bajas
You will have to take direction Malaga and end up joining the A-7 motorway until you take the A-45 towards Cordoba, Granada, Seville. Continue on the A-45 past Casabermeja and do not leave it until you see a turn-off to Cuevas Bajas and Cuevas de San Marcos. Your destination is just a few metres away.
The best means of transport to get there is by your own vehicle, so if you don’t have one we recommend a car hire at Malaga airport.