Atajate

Atajate is 750 metres above sea level, between the valleys of Guadiaro and Genal. It is in a privileged location in the area of the white villages, in the Ronda Mountains.

Its origin is an 8th-century Moorish fortification and, thanks to its strategic location on the road that goes from Ronda to Campo de Gibraltar, it has been quite important during certain periods in history. In the 19th century, during the Peninsular War, because the villagers put up resistance, the town was burnt down by the French.

At the same time as the guerrilla war phenomenon that the locals organised against the French, there was also another phenomenon that was later transformed by Romantic legends – banditry. According to the chronicles, there were many groups of smugglers and bandits in the area.

Today the echoes of bandit stories contrast with the peace and quiet of these white villages in the Genal Valley.

History

Remains have been found in the caves in the surrounding area. This shows that there were probably prehistoric settlements in the area. Remains of pottery and coins from the Roman Empire have also been found.

Because it is a strategic area between Ronda and Gaucín, it was probably important in Moorish times. There is still a tower on the Santa Cruz Hill, which is at the same distance between the castles of Benadadlid and the one that used to exist in Atajate.

The old village used to be on El Cuervo Hill, formerly known as El Castillo, where we can find the ruins, and the old church which has been turned into a cemetery.

In the 19th century, during the Peninsular War, the town was burnt down and destroyed by the French.

The documentation that is preserved talks about many groups of smugglers and bandits in the area from the beginning of the 19th century.