Cutar

 Interesting facts
Area: 18.20 sq. kms
Number of inhabitants: Approx. 700
Descent: Cutareños
Monuments: Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, Moorish Fountain, Fuente del Hierro archaeological remains
Geographical situation: In the Axarquía, 16 kilometres from Vélez-Málaga and 32 from Malaga, at 585 metres above sea level
Tourist information:
Town Hall, C/Fuente, 13. 29718. Phone: 952 554 247 Fax: 952 554 229

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


Outstanding visits
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