Algatocín, on the road which links Ronda with the Campo de Gibraltar region, has always managed to attract the traveller's attention: its peculiar urban layout, inherited from the Berber tribes who founded the village, is stepped to accommodate the steep terrain on which it is built, the white mass of its buildings contrasting with the green of chestnut trees, holm oaks and gall oaks. As an unmistakeable sign of identity, Our Lady's Parish Church towers above the whitewashed village, crowned by a shining blue mosaic.

History

Algatocín dates back to the time of the Roman occupation: archaeological remains pertaining to this period have been found at Cerrogordo, a location close to the village.

However, the village's origins are also heavily linked to the presence of the Arabs. Its name appears to be derived from the Berber tribe of the Benu-Atus, Al-Atuiyin, though legend has it that it comes from the name of the daughter of the second Moslem king of Ronda Algotisa, who chose to build a palace on this site.

Places of interest

Our Lady's Parish Church (Iglesia parroquial de Nuestra Señora del Rosario), 16th century.
Successive renovations have changed its original style. Inside is a colourful wooden image of St. Francis of Assisi, carved in the 18th century.

El Calvario Chapel (Ermita del Calvario).

Algatocin itself, a white village in the Serrania de Ronda region, characterised by its steep, narrow streets whose origins date back to the Andalusi period of the Moslem occupation.

Façades of 18th-century houses decorated with coats of arms.


Cuisine

Guisos de conejo (rabbit stews). Gazpacho campero (country-style chilled tomato, garlic and vegetable soup). Gazpacho fresco (chilled gazpacho). Migas (fried breadcrumbs with morsels of meat). Refrito de tocino (refried pork fat). Setas (mushrooms). Tortillas de acelgas (saltwort omelette).
Gachas (a type of custard made with flour and heated honey). Alfajores (cakes made from honey, almonds, hazelnuts, sugar, flour, grated bread and natural spices). Doughnut-style buñuelos. Melojas (sweet cakes made from pumpkin or citron).

In Algatocin, as in the rest of the villages of the Genal Valley, cuisine is based on a long tradition of adapting natural produce to dietary needs according to the seasons; thus hot gazpacho and migas are common in colder months, while chilled gazpacho is generally confined to summer. Spring is characterised by stews made from wild herbaceous plants such as thistles, fennels, dandelions and green asparagus.

Country-style stews and chick pea potages can be sampled all year round, along with rabbit stews and a wide range of pork-based dishes and cured sausages.

Special mention should be made of vegetable garden produce, the Genal Valley providing its villages with a wide variety of greens, vegetables and fresh fruit.

All cooking is based around two essential elements: olive oil and bread baked in log ovens.

Local cakes are largely based on the Moorish tradition, characterised by a careful blend of wheat flour, sugar and olive oil, spiced with cinnamon, aniseed and sesame sometimes accompanied by almonds and walnuts. Algatocin's special gachas (custard made from flour and heated honey) enjoy well-deserved renown.