Phil and Garth > Destinations > Europe > Spain > Setenil de las Bodegas – The Spanish Town Living Under A Rock

Setenil de las Bodegas – The Spanish Town Living Under A Rock

by Garth

Last updated: 7th January 2022



Whilst staying on the southern coast of Andalusia we decided to take a day trip to Setenil de las Bodegas after hearing it was Spain’s unusual town that lives under a rock! so we had to check it out. In this post we’ll show you what to see and do on a day trip to Setenil de las Bodegas.

 

About Setenil de las Bodegas

You may have heard of Southern Spain’s ‘White Towns’ of Andalusia, characterised by their hilltop locations and ridiculously pretty white washed homes. Well Ronda is probably the most dramatic of these towns but did you know just 30 minutes away lies another equally striking White Town? It’s called Setenil de las Bodegas – a unique place where people live under rocks. It’s an extraordinary sight where many of the town’s homes are built underneath huge rock overhangs. About 3,000 people live here some in these ancient caves where it’s believed the first residents arrived 12,000 years ago during the Stone Age, then through to Roman times. However when the Islamic Moors arrived 1,300 years ago they built a modern fortified town with a castle and also took advantage of the cool caves and areas under the rock to store goods. Today you can visit the restored tower of the old castle they built.

 

 

Attractions of Setenil de las Bodegas

There are two main streets to explore – ‘Sun Street’ and ‘Shade Street’ which run parallel to each other on the banks of the River Guadalporcún that runs through the town.

It’s astonishing looking at the homes sculpted directly in the rock, they are not actually carved into the rock, instead people have built just a front wall – a facade under the natural overhang with the caves forming the interiors of their homes.  Sun Street is lined with various restaurants and tapas bars. It’s worth taking a peek inside some of the bars to see these surreal interiors – the rock is their ceilings and walls, we thought some of the bars looked like pubs straight from medieval times!

 

Sun Street – Cuevas del Sol

The extraordinary appearance of Setenil de las Bodegas

The extraordinary appearance of Setenil de las Bodegas

'Sun Street' Cuevas del Sol in Setenil de Las Bodegas

‘Sun Street’ Cuevas del Sol in Setenil de Las Bodegas

Take a peek inside some of the bars to see the surreal interiors

Take a peek inside some of the bars to see the surreal interiors

Our dramatic setting for lunch

Our dramatic setting for lunch

Gravity defying buildings embedded into the rock on 'Sun Street'

Gravity defying buildings embedded into the rock on ‘Sun Street’

We sat outside Bar Frasquito for lunch and ordered a few tapas dishes including a plate of fried fish, nobody spoke English so we tried our best pigeon Spanish! What arrived was huge portions and very generous for what we thought were tapas dishes because they were reasonably priced, oh well we still managed to scoff everything! whilst watching the birds flying around the overhanging vines.

 

 

Shade Street – Cuevas de la Sombra

Cross over the river and you’ll find ‘Shade Street’ there’s lots of nice craft and foodie shops to browse around here. Part of the street is more like a tunnel where giant boulders create a natural ceiling.

Make sure you stop at the deli shop – La Cueva del Iberico, it’s inside a cave where we took advantage of the free cheese and wine samples. Apparently Setenil de las Bodegas is famous for chorizo and wine, we also saw places selling marmalade, must be because of all the juicy oranges grown in this region.

La Cueva del Iberico situated on "Shade Street" Cuevas de la Sombra

La Cueva del Iberico situated on “Shade Street” Cuevas de la Sombra

Loads of Iberian hams for sale in La Cueva del Iberico

Loads of Iberian hams for sale in La Cueva del Iberico

Charming streets to wander around near 'Shade Street'

Charming streets to wander around near ‘Shade Street’

Strike a pose!

Strike a pose!

 

 

Calle Jabonería

Once you’re done with Sun and Shade streets walk down Calle Jabonería which leads you to a Roman Bridge. Along the way it’s a delight just wandering the narrow streets, every nook and cranny has been filled with a home. Buildings are painted white to reflect the scorching summer sun to keep temperatures inside cool. The quirky homes are so picturesque, especially with potted geraniums decorating doorways. Oh and if you love taking photos of doors, then you’ll be in your element! there’s lots of old ones to choose from.

Homes built into the rock in Setenil de las Bodegas

Homes built into the rock in Setenil de las Bodegas

A tiny house built into the rock face

A tiny house built into the rock face

White washed homes in Setenil de las Bodegas

White washed homes in Setenil de las Bodegas

One of the many little bridges

One of the many little bridges

Flower filled pots add a splash of colour to white walls

Flower filled pots add a splash of colour to white walls

Love the decorative painted pots!

Love the decorative painted pots!

Just like many of Andalusia’s white towns, Setenil de las Bodegas has been occupied by the Romans, Moors and Christians over time and the architecture reflects this, we passed an old mosque that had been converted into a church.

Don’t worry about getting lost, that’s part of the fun, there are signs up with a camera icons pointing you to certain streets if you get stuck. We loved soaking up the peaceful atmosphere of this authentic Spanish town.

An old mosque converted into a church

An old mosque converted into a church

The smell of Geraniums is in the air

The smell of Geraniums is in the air

Wandering the streets of Setenil de las Bodegas

Wandering the streets of Setenil de las Bodegas

 

 

Castle Tower and Church

End your visit to Sentil de las Bodegas by heading up to the highest point to see the restored Nazarí Tower. It’s the only remaining tower of the former Moorish castle, next door you can also visit the imposing Church of the Incarnation.

It’s a steep walk to the top in places but worth the effort, on your way up make sure you find Calle Herrería, the town’s oldest street which leads to Plaza de Andalucía – a picturesque square which has a couple of restaurants. We tried to order some coffee on some of the outside terraces, but told we could only stay if we ordered food.

The Moorish Nazarí Tower, now restored and modernised

The Moorish Nazarí Tower, now restored and modernised

Calle Herrería is the oldest street in Setenil de las Bodegas

Calle Herrería is the oldest street in Setenil de las Bodegas

Pretty Plaza de Andalucía

Pretty Plaza de Andalucía

 

 

White Towns (Pueblo Blancos) of Andalusia

We loved visiting Setenil de las Bodegas, it must be the most unique of Andalusia’s White Towns or ‘Pueblo Blancos’. It would make a great day-trip if your staying in popular Malaga or Cadiz. Or if you’re staying in Ronda then it’s definitely worth a detour as it’s so close, a 30 minute drive or there’s public transport buses. You’l pass some amazing olive farms and valleys on the way.

If you are staying even longer and have a car then you should consider taking a mini road-trip around more ‘Pueblo Blancos’. Built on protective hilltop locations in this mountainous region of Andalusia (the Cadiz and Malaga provinces) Theses traditional towns are authentic Spain and that’s why you should try and see them.  Others worth exploring include:

      • RondaPerched on a somewhat terrifying but spectacular huge gorge.
      • CasaresHas a huge Moorish Castle and Roman baths.
      • AntequeraLots Baroque art, described as ‘The Heart of Andalusia’
      • Mijas PuebloFamous for burro taxis (donkey taxis)
      • GaucinViews to Gibraltar and the Rif mountains of North Africa.
      • UbriqueFamous for high quality leather goods.
      • GrazalemaIt’s the whitest of the white towns.
      • Zahara de la SierraViews of green valleys and turquoise lakes below.
      • Arcos de la FronteraDramatic setting and not overly touristy.
      • OlveraImposing Church and Moorish Castle, also sells the region’s best virgin olive oil.
      • Vejer de la Frontera Lots of Islamic influences here, it has a Moroccan vibe.

 

 

Setenil de las Bodegas Practical Information & Useful Advice

Phil and Garth in Setenil de las Bodegas

Phil and Garth in Setenil de las Bodegas

Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Setenil de las Bodegas Tips

  • Tip #1: Don’t even attempt to drive into the town as you will get stuck – park just outside and walk in.
  • Tip #2: Take a photo of the map near the bus station so you can refer to it as GPS on Google Maps is hit and miss.
  • Tip #3: It’s not a very practical place to explore for the elderly or wheelchair users because of the steep steps.
  • Tip #4: If you have a DSLR take a wide angle lens or use a GoPro to get the best pics on Sun and Shade Streets.
  • Tip #5: Don’t expect everyone to speak English as they don’t, so brush up on your Spanish phrases!

 

Setenil de las Bodegas Fast Facts

  • Airport Code: AGP – Málaga Airport is the closest airport to Setenil de las Bodegas, 59 miles away.
  • Time: GMT +1 hour. Central European Standard Time.
  • Currency: Euro (symbol: €)
  • Language: Spanish.
  • Population: 3,016.
  • In An Emergency – General number is 112 or 091 for police, 061 for ambulance and 080 for fire brigade.
  • Electricity: Socket type C & F. Both take the standard 2 Euro pin plug. Voltage is 230V / 50Hz.
  • Best Time To Visit Setenil de las Bodegas: March to June and September to November. June is the driest month.
  • Worst Time To Visit Setenil de las Bodegas: July to August will be very busy and very hot.
  • Famous For: Spain’s hidden town living under a rock.
  • History: Setenil de las Bodegas dates back to the Stone Age. It was developed in the 12th century by the Islamic Moors.
  • 5 Must See: Sun Street, Shade Street, Castle, Calle Jabonería and Plaza de Andalucía.
  • Local Food: Have chorizo and wine underneath the rock at one of the tapas bars.
  • Getting Around: Setenil de las Bodegas is small enough to walk around.
  • Trivia: ‘Bodegas’ means wineries, referring to a time when the town once had vineyards.
  • Best Photo Spot: The Compania Mar Oceano look out point (mirador) has amazing views.
  • Hidden Gem: 10 minute drive from Setenil de las Bodegas is ancient Acinipo with the remains of a Roman theatre.
  • Souvenir: A jar of local marmalade.

 

Pin our Setenil de las Bodegas travel guide for later

SaveSave

Click the icons to share or Pin this post...

You may also like

12 comments

Stephanie 12th April 2019 - 6:41 pm

Great Video of such an amazing town that has settled into the side of the mountain. A place where I would love to visit. How interesting that it is known for chorizo, wine and marmalade. I will definitely pin this for me to take a visit there.

Reply
Sharon 25th March 2019 - 10:50 pm

Wow — how awesome! I thought it was a figurative “rock” and here is a literal huge rock over the town. What a great place to visit!

Reply
1 2

Leave a Comment

By using this form you agree with our Privacy Policy and the storage and handling of your data by our website.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Press accept if you're ok with this. Accept Read More