Píñar

The main local attraction is the Cueva de las Ventanas, the only cave of its kind in the province of Granada. It is perfectly equipped to welcome tourists and also has full access for the disabled.

In the town there exist other caves, but they are not as easily visited. Many of them were used to be lived in during Prehistoric times. The Cueva de Meye, the Cueva de los Confites and the Cueva de Carigüela are all worth a visit. In the latter anthropological remains from the Neanderthal period were discovered, making it one of the most important archaeological sites in southern Spain, an area continually occupied for 125,000 years.

Piñar, with its castle on a mountain range as the motif for its local flag, has an interesting history. The olive and almond trees enhance the colourful landscape.

The name Piñar may come from the shape of the majestic silhouette of its medieval castle that stands on the isolated peak, whose long walls and high towers are visible from far away.

The municipality of Piñar has been a human settlement ever since ancient times, at least as far back as the mid-Palaeolithic and Neolithic period. This is demonstrated by the many archaeological remains discovered here, and by the caves in the area. The town was also inhabited in the Copper and Bronze Ages and later by the Iberians and Romans. The Togado of Periate, a bronze sculpture depicting the emperor Claudius II, dating back to the same period, was also discovered here.

During the Islamic period a fortress (now officially declared a National Monument) was built here. The town fell to the Catholic Monarchs, shortly before Granada suffered the same fate, and the governor of the time, Sidi al Mandari fled to Tetouan in North Africa, a city that is now twinned with Piñar. After the expulsion of the Moors it underwent a period of decline. Today with the fantastic tourist attraction of the Cuevas de las Ventanas, the town is flourishing.

The area is famous for its grilled meats. You can try the Migas cortijeras, Cordero a la campesina, Andrajos con liebre, Sopa de panecillos, Choto al ajillo, Gachas picantes and Manitas de cerdo.