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Village Focus - Albuñuelas Albuñuelas dates back to Moorish times - the name derives from an Arab word meaning abundance. It nestles into the hillside above the gorge of the Rio Santo - a spectacular position at the head of the Lecrin Valley. It was on the route of Arab traders such as Leon the African and Al Idrisi - an early geographer. Early last century this village was fairly remote and was not directly linked to the other villages down the valley by anything more than a mule track.
Some of the most dramatic views to be had anywhere in the valley are to be found here - bordered by the Sierra de Albuñuelas (where fugitives lived after the Spanish Civil War) and the Sierra de Guajar - with wonderful vistas across to the Alpujarras and the Sierra Nevada. This is a beautiful and tranquil environment, with countryside which feels wild and remote almost as soon as you leave the confines of the village. Above the village, the forestal road - an unmade but accessible track winds its way across the hills towards Granada and links up with the road to the coast. The E4 GR7 walking route from Algeciras to Istanbul goes through the middle of the village! It is one of the largest villages- divided into upper and lower barrios (quarters), each with its own church - one large and imposing with a 19th century ironwork tower, the other an unassuming hermitage dedicated to San Sebastian. The abundance of water (drinkable) is evident from the tree-lined slopes; farmers here produce great quantities of oranges, lemons, almonds, olives, avocadoes, walnuts, figs and nisporas and have several crops a year of a wide range of vegetables and fruits. Many of the campos are in remote or inaccessible spots, so mules and donkeys are much in evidence, although as the village has become more prosperous, the ubiquitous white van and mechanical mule (small tractors) have increasingly appeared. The campesinos (farmers) travelling to their campos (fields) in the mornings - sometimes with their wives riding side saddle behind them and with dogs trotting alongside - is a regular sight, probably unchanged for centuries.
Wander the streets and you will find the remnants of a 14th century Arab tower (Torre de Bayo), communal wash houses - still used - elaborately tiled fountains and even the remnants of a 17th century Archbishop´s palace, now almost obliterated. Life changes slowly it seems; the mules and their friends, the dogs, are stabled in the cavernous lower floors of villages houses, along with rabbits, turkeys, chickens and pigs at various times. The balconies or miradors (open top floors) are festooned with drying chillies and tomatoes at the end of the summer and hams and chorizo sausages being cured after the matanza - the killing of pigs in January. These jostle for space with pots of geraniums, carnations, bougainvillea and jasmine tumbling over balustrades. Old men still ply their craft of plaiting esparto grass into baskets, panniers for the mules, screens and a variety of small items. The two bakeries produce and deliver quantities of bread and cakes each day. The peace and quiet of the morning is punctured by the sound of car horns advertising bread or fresh fish.
The people of the village are immensely friendly, proud of their community and pleased that others want to visit. Stand still long enough in one part of the lower barrio, and Paco "Conchas" (shells) is likely to invite you to see his extraordinary terrace. He has created an almost Gaudiesque grotto by bringing rocks from the mountains to line a pergola, using organic shapes and covering the rather fanciful turrets of the upper terrace with shells and fossils picked out of the river bed nearby. Stand and admire the orange trees and you are likely to be plied with armfuls of fruit! Join the bread or fish queue at a white van and you may find yourself waved forward, so the ladies can hear your Spanish. They have been known to clap a particularly good effort!
We have several houses for sale in the village, ranging from a large 5 bedroomed restored house in the lower barrio to small ruins which need much care and attention. If you are interested
in look for:
Other villages ©Lecrinvalley 2004
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