Cutar is 32 kilometers from Malaga -about half an hours drive. There's daily bus service which extends from Malaga to Velez-Malaga - 16 kilometers away - and also to many of the neighbouring towns and villages en route. Cutar has a population of about 700 and is 331 metres above sea level, the main sources of income are the vineyards and olive groves. The village is dominated by the peak of Peña de Hierro y Cutar rising to 585 metres.
From the village, there are panoramic views of the mountains and countryside.
Almachar
Almachar is a beautiful Spanish village located at the heart of the Axarquia region, surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, cereal fields and orchards.
The Cadogan guide (2005) says of Almachar:
West of Velez, Almáchar is an exquisite little village of tumbling houses and winding streets, best explored on foot. Leave your car at the top of the town near what used to be the old bus shelter, and head down C. Eugenia Rios. In spring and summer, the town is a riot of colours, with flowers spilling from every balcony, patio and window box (look at the plaques dotted about town, commemorating individual streets for their displays).
There are wonderful views from the terraces which overlook the mountains and hills of the Axarquia. You will find local shopping, a pharmacy, a bakery, two bars and the traditional way of Andalucian life in Cutar.
Banks, cash machines, supermarkets, restaurants and medical service are 10 minutes drive away in the neighbouring village of Almachar.
The view from the road above the village of Cutar
Located off the main tourist routes, Cútar has a lot of charm and is a quiet, traditional village. In the shadow of the large church, the white houses and small narrow streets tumble down the hillside. Both Almachar and Cutar are a pueblos blanco's (white villages), a legacy of the Moorish rule of the area.
Because of the very mild semi-tropical climate, farmers grow mangos, avocados, citrus fruits, dates, figs, pomegranate, guava, sugar cane and the heavy, delicious Muscat grapes. The grapes are dried into raisins or made into the famous Malaga muscatel dessert wine.
Today Almachar is a large, bustling, lively village - very Spanish and self sufficient. It has its own swimming pool,arts centre, health centre and dentist. There are a large number of small shops, which you have to search for behind the fly curtains on the front door! There are a number of groceries and general stores, two butchers, a fresh fishmonger, a bakery and several bars. The co-operative warehouse sells very good oil, figs, raisins and almonds and several versions of the local sweet wine. In the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th, Almachar was famous for its cloth, hand-made in a number of textile mills. Today, most of the village’s inhabitants work on the land, particularly in the cultivation of muscatel grapes and raisins.
Almáchar is situated in the heart of the Axarquía at 200 metres above sea level, 35 kilometres from Malaga city and 14 from Vélez-Málaga. It is built on a small hill between the El Borge and Almáchar rivers, close to the Mountains of Malaga and surrounded by vineyards, olive and cereal groves.
The municipality extends from the hill of the same name as the town (334 metres high) and the basin of the river Almáchar to the Vallejo peak, at 609 metres high. From the road you can see the typical country houses and drying beds where the grapes are left to dry into raisins, and the small terraced plots of orange, lemon, olive and almond trees.
The Sierra Tejeda from the terrace of the Casa de Luz, Almachar
