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Atajate AREA: 11 km² ALTITUDE ABOVE SEA LEVEL: 745 metres AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL: 1175 l/m² AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 14’5 ºC POPULATION, CENSUS 1994: 172  
Atajate is between the valleys of Guadiaro and Genal, next to the road which joins Ronda and Algeciras. Although it is high up, this small village occupies a smooth watercourse which is open to the Valley of Genal, between the Peñasblancas peak (1,076 m.) and the Cuervo hill (782 m.), the latter being next to the town. You can see the church over the roofs of the houses. It has a landscape of olives, vines and cereal fields which cohabitate with the holm-oaks, corks, and thickets which cover the low areas of the limestone relief in woods. The origin of the town is Arabic, although axes have been found in some nearby caverns which denotes man’s presence since ancient times and the Romans also left coins and ceramics. The primitive nucleus settled in the nearby Cerro del Cuervo and because of its frontier situation between the Moorish kingdoms of Sevilla and Granada, it must have had a castle and forts in Arab times. Later, it also played an important part in the battles between Moors and Christians given its strategic location between Ronda and Gaucín. Today there are still part of the walls of its old church which form part of the cemetery. During the War of Independence in the 19th century, the town was destroyed by Napoleon's troops and was later converted into a refuge for bandits.
This town occupies the side of the Cerro del Cuervo and presents a typical physiognomy of the Ronda highland towns. On the top of the Santa Cruz there are the remains of an old defence tower. The parish church, dedicated to San Roque, dates from the 18th century although it was rebuilt in the 19th century using the most basic baroque canons for the front, a curved and split pediment, whose arms point to the niche, which is now empty but no doubt once contained an image. The tower has four bodies. The last is octagonal and crowned with a red roof. Other interesting places, in the surrounding areas are the Tajos, where there are remains of caverns. The Genal valley is also an attractive place.
There are specialists in espadrilles, and working with olive branches and esparto grass
The most popular dishes of the local gastronomy are the so called "enrealillos", porridge, 'gazpacho' cold soup, 'gazpachuelo' mayonnaise soup, breadcrumbs fried with garlic, etc.. The pastrymaking is composed of 'pestiños' type of fritter, 'roscos' rusks, and almond cheeses.
In mid August they celebrate their patron saint's festivities. At Easter they celebrate the Moors and Christians and at the end of November is the 'mosto' unfermented grape juice festival.
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History and Lanscape
Places to Visit
Shopping
Gastronomy
Festivities and traditions