The town of Setenil de las Bodegas has been transformed into a fascinating place by its own people.
People can live in strange places such as on the roof of the world at 4,000m or hidden in the Amazon jungle. Setenil de las Bodegas in the province of Cádiz, Spain is one of them, built under a giant rock. The people here have transformed the difficult space below the canyon to turn this place into a unique town in the world.
The town of Setenil de las Bodegas is famous for being built under the overhanging cliffs of a canyon above the Rio Trejo river.
All the people here live in small white houses built below or even in the rocky canyon.
The unique feature of the houses here is that they are built by expanding the space from natural caves, hanging stone caves and adding an additional wall outside.
These natural caves are actually a great neighborhood because instead of having to build a complete house, people only need to build an exterior facade.
The modern town of Setenil grew out of a Moorish fortified city located on a bluff near the Rio Trejo river north of Ronda.
Legend has it that the town’s name comes from the Latin phrase Septem Nihil (meaning “seven times zero”). The name is said to have originated from the seven times the Moors resisted the Christian invasion of the area.
This small town withstood six Christian sieges, only to succumb on the seventh. It is also considered one of the last strong Muslim strongholds in Iberia.
The town later began to use the natural advantage of the cool climate below the canyon to stock local foods.
Perfect design ensures to keep warm in winter and cool in summer.
Despite being under a rock, the town has thrived and kept pace with modern life outside. Setenil’s bars and restaurants are considered some of the best in the area.
With its reputation and unique structure, Setenil has become a popular tourist destination in Spain, attracting tens of thousands of people each year to experience the feeling of living under a rock.
