Murtas is located on the slope of its famous Cerrajón, one of the most remarkable tourist attractions of the district. With its 1,508 meters of altitude, it is the highest peak of La Contraviesa and, for that reason, one of the best observation places of the entire region. From its top, it is possible to observe from the Sierra Nevada summits to the Mediterranean coast.
In the Cerrajón there are two caves whose visit is very interesting: La Gotera, in the superior part of the North face, and La Vieja, in the South face, near the Fuente de Inotes, which supplies potable water to the town. Behind the back of the Venta del Chaleco there is also another cave, in the Cerro of the Minchal, of which it is said that nobody knows its end, because the batteries of the lanterns of those who enter always run off before completing their exploration.
The citizens of Murtas are still very fond of the trovos, a musical tradition very extended in the Alpujarra. The trovos are quintillas - groups of five verses, usually octosillabyc - that are sung with the musical support of stringed instruments. Its fundamental characteristics are its mordacious and sarcastic words and, mainly, the improvisation and the speed of the answers from trovadores to others, which the alpujarreños called the art of repentizar, of which they organize festivals and competitions.
The name of this town comes from the Mozarab word mirto or mirtux, referred to the tree of such species, myrtle or arrayán. Axes and other archaeological rests of the Bronze age that allow to assure that in this territory there were human settlements since the Neolithic period have been found.
During the Nasrid period, Murtas belonged to the Sahill taha. After the conquest of the Catholic Kings the Moorish population offered resistance to the Christian pressure, carrying out a rise under the command of Aben Humeya. This rebellion ended with the expulsion of the rebelled population and the consequent depopulation of the region. Christians coming from Castile, Galicia and Asturias were the ones who repopulate these area, where in the XIX century it awake a flourishing wine and silk industry.
Murtas has one of the most prestigious pastry making industries of Granada, the Murteña cooperative. In addition to the traditional Moorish desserts from the Alpujarra, like the soplillos and the cuajados, this cooperative elaborates others of more recent invention, like the almond cheese. The wine tradition has been followed by the Cuatro Vientos vineyard, one of the few that elaborates wines of quality in the province. One of the most famous and flavourful dishes is the rabbit al colorín.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
