Carratraca is a village between the Serrania de Ronda and Antequera regions which has since time immemorial been considered a gateway to the Guadalhorce valley.

The village, of Arabic origin, grew in the 19th century as a result of the presence here of sulphurous waters whose curative properties had already been discovered by the Romans. In the mid-1900s, an attractive Neoclassical spa was built, and it is still visited in large numbers today by sufferers of a variety of ailments.
 

If taking the waters appeals to you, Carratraca is the place for you. A country drive through olive and almond groves, past the white village of Alora, its whitewashed houses spread over three hills below the impressive ramparts of Alora Castle. Continue on to Ardales, El Chorro lakes and Teba.

Carratraca, is known as the Diamond of Malaga, it has been famous for its sulphur water spas since Roman times. In its heyday in the 19th century, when taking the waters was the height of fashionable travel, this spa attracted such famous visitors as Lord Byron and Empress Marie Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.

The baths are open from June 15th - October 15th every year. A complete day's treatment costs around 120 euros.

This Spa is located in a beautiful 19th-century building. Its wide rooms, the height of the ceiling, the chequer floors, and the furniture create an environment that is in tune with the architecture, making this Spa one of the most charming in Spain.

Therapeutic benefits:  Circulatory System troubles, Gynaecological troubles, Skin troubles, Orthopaedic surgery, Nervousness, Rheumatism.

Properties of the water:  Radioactive, Sulphurized, Arsenical.

Treatment techniques:  Jets-Showers, Swimming-pool, Baths.
 

Carratraca is also famous for its Easter passion play performed in the bullring by about 140 villagers on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

For a relaxing drink or meal, visit the charming, slightly dilapidated, romantic old hotel, Hostal del Principe, located in the town. Converted from an inn which King Fernando VII of Spain ordered to be built for himself and his retinue in 1830. It has its own connecting corridor leading directly to the baths.

History

Within the town’s municipal boundaries, in a chasm forty metres deep in the Sierra de Alcaparain, schematic paintings and archaeological remains from the Eneolithic period have been found.

Human presence in the area since the beginning of prehistory is evident in the neighbouring village of Ardales where Cueva de Doña Trinidad Grund cave features cave paintings of animals -goats, horses and stags- pertaining to the Upper Palaeolithic period (Solutrean and Magdalenian eras, 18.000 - 14.000 B.C.).

The springs of sulphurous waters which flow in Carratraca were used by the Romans, as witnessed by the site of La Glorieta, where copper and silver coins bearing the images of several Roman emperors have been discovered.

Though there was a settlement here during the Moslem occupation of Spain, the present-day town dates back to the 19th century and appeared as a result of successive extensions to a farm called Aguas Hediondas, the site of a spa and a chapel to Our Lady built in the 18th century.

Town Hall

Another building of interest is the Town Hall, formerly the residence of Doña Trinidad Grund.

The Town Hall building is situated in the north-east of the town, in calle de la Glorieta, which is between the Spa and the Plaza de Toros. It is known locally as the Arab House, for its Mudejar style, although it dates from no further back than 1885, when Doña Trinidad Grund de Heredia had it built. It was originally a second home for her and her upper-class Malaga family. It has a tower integrated into the building that leads on to a garden area. The tower fell down in 1963, and the building was restored in 1991, a new tower being built and the gardens being restored. The ground floor is now devoted to exhibitions and the Town Hall has the middle floor, while the third floor is offices and store-rooms.

Plaza de Toros

The bullring is situated to the north-east of the town, on the side of the Sierra Blanquilla or Baños, the easiest access to it being by calle de la Glorieta. Before it was built in 1878, bull-fights were held in the town's main plaza, but with the large influx of visitors to the Spa and the town itself, this was considered dangerous and a proper bullring was built. It holds 3,000 spectators, and has surprisingly effective acoustics.

Many famous bullfighters have performed there, and in our own day it is the scene of minor bullfights during the August Feria. It is also used to host festival events like the "Embrujo de Luna Mora" (Bewitchment of the Moorish Moon) and the theatrical representation of the Passion of Christ during the Holy Week celebrations.

Fiestas

One of the most traditional festivals in Carratraca is the Passion and Death of Christ, in which more than 100 people from the town act. It takes place in the bullring on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, at five in the afternoon.

The Corpus Christi festival is also very popular, with the streets and houses of the town decorated in flowers and aromatic herbs in preparation for the procession through the town centre.

A recently recuperated tradition is the Night of San Juan, at the end of June, when a huge bonfire is built. The August fiesta takes place around the Day of the patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Salud, on August 15th.

Gastromy

The most typical dishes in Carratraca are the soups and stews like callos (pigs' trotters and snouts), the cabbage dishes and the delicious rabbit dishes. In summertime the people of the place like to eat something lighter like omelettes with bread crumbs and parsley, garlic and eggs, and potatoes and almond. The tarts cooked in olive oil and sponge cake are very good here too

Craftwork

The people of Carratraca have maintained their old tradition through the years, and we can still see beautiful pieces of craftwork like baskets, mats and miniature figure made from rush. The women of the town like to work in crochet, making wonderfully detailed rugs, cushion covers and handkerchiefs by hand. There is also a certain amount of woodcarving done here. Many artists too have visited this town to paint, among them Frank North, Francisco Rodríguez "Bombita", J. Luis de la Rosa "Demor" and the late Frans Van Bergen.