Huétor Vega

Huétor Vega is located between the valley of the Río Monachil and the plains of the Granada depression. The municipality has many beautiful streets and public spaces typical of mountain villages. On a tour around the town, you can admire the typical houses with their white façades and tiled roofs.

The town is the starting point of the ancient Camino de los Neveros, a route that has been used for centuries to transport goods and food to Granada. People would go on horseback, even when the cold and icy weather came down from the Sierra Nevada. Today the route is no longer used for this purpose, but it still is a beautiful way to enjoy nature on foot, horseback or bicycle, and evoke the romantic task of those brave men.

Although the name of Huétor Vega dates back to the Moorish period, its origin can be traced back several thousand years with the help of archaeological findings in the town and its surroundings. One artefact is a 5-centimetre tall idol from the Copper Age. Numerous human remains and grave goods of an Argaric settlement have also been discovered on the Cerro de la Encina, including a statue of a woman from the Iberian-Roman period. All this suggests that the first settlers arrived here in the Copper Age, around 2700 BC.

The Romans built villas and farms here, while Muslims built farmhouses. During this period the town was called ‘Hins-Watha’. The Arabs lived here for more than 700 years and created a network of canals that are still preserved today. They grew olives, vines and mulberries. After the Reconquista and the Moorish uprising, the population decreased massively. The area was repopulated by people from Castilla, Aragón and eastern Spain who bought up the land here.

The first written records of the town date back to the 16^th century. At this time and later on, the population continued to work in agriculture. In recent years Huétor Vega has experienced a significant urban and demographic development, and has become a popular residential area.

Huétor Vega has numerous restaurants and snack bars, and is a popular destination for people from Granada for eating out on weekends. Fried beans with ham are one of the most typical and delicious local dishes.

The local wines are worth being tasted too. Huétor Vega also produces excellent sausages and cured meats. Other delicious recipes are Migas and Choto in all their different forms.