The People In This Spanish Town Are Literally Living Under A Rock

Crabby uncles and various other old men like to ask this question when someone doesn't know what's going on: “What are you, living under a rock?” Usually, the rhetorical jab is met with eye-rolls, but if you lived here, in Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain, you could respond with, “Yes, I do live under a rock, and it's actually quite lovely.”

Rosali Arte

Juan Antonio Patiño Méndez

Setenil de las Bodegas is a town of about 3,000 inhabitants, many of whom have residences under this huge rock formation.

Juan Antonio Patiño Méndez

The rock covering is actually a gorge that has been slowly eroded by the Rio Trejo over the centuries.

luiscifermex

The oldest homes in the city can be found under the gorge, and new construction rests on the hillside above.

Judith

When first settled, this area actually made an excellent place to live: The shadows of the gorge provided a natural way for people to stay out of the heat.

Quimera8

Setenil de las Bodegas is also one of the typical white villages of Andalucia - the houses are whitewashed every year in an effort to make the town as cool as possible.

Gaspar Serrano

Ravi Jones

Emilio Sancha

Cesar Redondo

Gaspar Serrano

Now, the small town is quite lively, and boasts some of the region's best restaurants and cafes.

Ravi Jones

In fact, Setenil de las Bodegas is known for its culinary delicacies, including chorizon, honey, olive oil, and Andalucian wine.