Alcaucin in the Axarquia - Southern Spain

Alcaucin is a very pretty village at an altitude of 510 metresand has a population of 1,500 also the nearby small village of Venta Baja is situated within the municipality of Alcaucin.

A feature of the countryside is an enormous U shaped gap in the mountains, known as El Boquete de Zafarraya. A road runs through the gap linking the Provinces of Malaga and Granada.

Prehistoric sites have been discovered at various places in the area  including a cave where the remains of a Neanderthal Man were found.

Also near to the village is the Castle Zalía which was later used as a fortress by the Moors. The village layout is typically Moorish, the name Alcaucin is derived from the Arabic Al-Cautin (arches). An 18th century parish church, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, stands in the village square.
The Alcázar Nature Reserve and the sulphur  springs of Las Majadas are both within the area.