Las Gabias

Las Gabias is in front of the bulk of Sierra Nevada, only 8 kilometres from Granada and in the limit between the Granada’s fertile plain and the dry land. The district is sprinkled by many cortijos between beautiful natural places. The Dílar River crosses the town in a north-south direction giving way to important areas of irrigated land and, the Arroyo Salado, in the western part allows the development of the olive grove.

Las Gabias lies opposite the Sierra Nevada, just 8 kilometres from Granada. This beautiful rural area is dotted with numerous farmhouses. The Río Dílar crosses the municipality from north to south irrigating many large areas, whilst the Arroyo del Salado to the west is filled with olive trees.

The Gabias has an 18-hole golf course and is surrounded by a beautiful landscape with the Sierra Nevada in the background. There is also a High Performance Olympic Shooting Centre in the town.

Las Gabias has an 18 holes golf course surrounded by a beautiful landscape with Sierra Nevada at the back. Another sports complex in the town is the High Performance Centre of Olympic Shot

The archaeological site in the Cuesta de los Chinos shows that the town’s history goes back thousands of years.

During the Roman period there was an important settlement nearby, where there are still ruins of an oil mill and some houses to be seen today. The most interesting finding is the Roman Baptistery from the 3^rd century A.D. It was officially declared National Monument in 1931 and is the only one of its kind in Spain. It consists of a corridor leading to an underground room, covered with a domed roof. In Muslim times the settlement has over 1500 inhabitants and an important fortress in the centre of town.

Centuries later, during the rebellion of the Moors, Hurtado de Mendoza ordered a census to be carried out, according to which there were 1418 people living in Las Gabias and its surroundings. The name of the town is believed to come from the word Hisn Caviar (which means military tower), referring to the tower, which still exists in Gabia Grande. There are two stories of how it was built: the first says that it was built in the Caliphate era; the second says that it was one of five watchtowers built by Muhammad III. What is clear is that during just before the final victory of the Christians in 1490 it was used to defend and monitor the plains and to house the troops. In 1490 the Christians, under the command of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, captured the town. That same year, King Ferdinand ordered the tower to be demolished, but his orders were never carried out.

The modern history of Las Gabias begins with the Christian conquest and the repopulation organised by Felipe II, who invited settlers from different parts of the Spain to settle here. Until the 19^th century the town belonged to the Conde de Gabia, during which time it was one of the most prosperous and important towns in the province. Its textile, especially linen industry boomed, as did its production of hemp and beet. In1973 Las Gabias was merged with the other former municipalities of Gabia Grande and Gabia Chica.

A simple local recipe is the scrambled eggs with spinach. Local fruits and vegetables are used in all dishes, such as mashed onions, beans with cod, chickpea or cabbage stew. Partridges and the rabbit are very popular local meats and are used in in the Olla de San Anton.

Las Gabias has delicious pastries including Lecha frita and Torticas.