The
tiny municipal territory of Atajate –only 11 square kilometres-
lies in one of those places that the scenery totally captures
the visitor’s attention and the village is like a counterpoint
to the work of nature.
 It
enjoys the full benefit of its location between two of the
most beautiful valleys in the province of Málaga:
that of the River Genal and of the Guadiaro, a situation
that several other localities in the Ronda highlands benefit
from.
In keeping with its small area, the population of Atajate
(175) is at the moment the smallest in the province of Málaga,
which depending on how you look at it increases its charm.
The village centre, on the slope of El Cuervo hill, is sheltered
by the Peñasblancas peak (1,076 metres) and El Cuervo
itself. Its crest (782 metres) rises just a few metres above
the house roofs, which give the appearance of being the
base of the parish church tower. Olive groves, grain fields
and vineyards abound in the surroundings of the tiny urban
area and in a few places give way to live oaks and cork
oaks and the thick tangled brush that grows among the limestone
outcroppings.
 Axe
fragments, discovered in caves near the village, show that
primitive man settled in these lands, which is only logical
considering that in all this part of the Ronda region there
are numerous such relics. The same can be said of the Romans,
who in their passage through these parts left coins and
ceramics, after which time there is historical silence until
it is broken by the arrival of the Arabs.
The village had its origin in the El Cuervo hill and it
is reasonable to think, considering the configuration of
the kingdoms of Seville and Granada in that era, that the
Arabs would have built a fortress in this place, especially
as confrontations between Christian and Arab troops were
later so frequent in the environs of Gaucín and Ronda.
However, while all this seems quite likely there is no documentation
of any such thing. It is known for a fact that during the
Napoleonic invasion the village was destroyed by the French
army and, as a consequence its inhabitants had to abandon
for a time what remained of their houses. Beginning at that
time bandits came to consider Atajate a good refuge and
used it as such between hold-ups of the stagecoaches that
crossed the Ronda highlands.
 Outstandings
Visits:
The San Roque parish church dates from the eighteenth century
and had to be rebuilt in the nineteenth. It is of simple
but harmonious design. Its interior is divided into three
separate naves separated from one another by semicircular
arches resting on pillars. The façade is subdued
baroque and the most remarkable thing about the structure
is its tower. It has a square base and four levels, the
last of which is octagonal and covered by a little ceramic
roof.
On the high point of Santa Cruz are the ruins of an ancient
defensive tower known as Torre de la Santa Cruz.
Near the village, there are several caves- ruins of caves,
actually- in which prehistoric axes were found. The caverns
are of slight interest in themselves (there are no paintings)
but are in an exceptional area, Los Tajos (The Cliffs),
where the rocks and brush form a curious natural feature
that the villages have christened the “Torcal of Atajate”
for its resemblance, to some extent, to the Torcal in Antequera.
The highest point of Los Tajos commands an extensive panoramic
view of the Ronda highlands and the Genal valley, which
means that a camera or video recorder is indispensable.
On very clear days, you can even see with some clarity the
peaks of the Rif range on the continent of Africa.
 How
to Get There:
Atajate is reached from the Costa del Sol by the A-376,
which turns off from the N-340 in the direction of Ronda.
Just 3.5 kilometres short of Ronda take the A-369 towards
Algeciras and the first village to come into sight will
be Atajate.
Interesting
Facts:
Surface Area: 11 square kilometres
Population: 175
What the natives are called: Atajateños
Monuments: the San Roque church, Santa Cruz tower, ruins
of the Los Tajos caverns
Geographical Location: in the Ronda region, between the
valleys of the rivers Genal and Guadiaro, 18 kilometres
from Ronda and 141 from the city of Málaga. The urban
centre sits 745 metres above sea level. Average annual rainfall
is 1,175 litres per square metre and the average temperature
is 14.5º C.
Tourist Information: Town Hall, Plaza de la Constitución
(29494). Telephone: 952 183 504; Fax: 952 183 697 |
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