Villages in Cadiz
Ubrique
Ubrique
Ubrique is included in the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos and it is located to the north-eastern area of Cádiz, in the frontier of two Nature Reserves (Nature Reserve of Los Alcornocales and Nature Reserve of La Sierra de Grazalema).
In the Eastern half of the province, Ubrique is shaped like a natural link between the Sierras del Norte and the ones of El Campo de Gibraltar.
The town of Ubrique has more or less 17.000 inhabitants and it is to 337 metres above sea level.
In its surroundings we have to emphasize Las Sierras de Libar , Ubrique, Alta and La Silla, divided by watercourses and river ports that converge in the River of Ubrique, that flows into the important Los Hurones Dam , the same that supplies with water the half of the province.
We have to know Ubrique if we choose to follow the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos. It is one of the 19 bunches of White houses that gives a picturesque and original view of Cádiz.
As for its history, in the vicinity of the town there were found the remains of the Roman town called Ocurris. It was built near it and during the Muslim age a fortress called Cardela, that nowadays it is called Castle of Fátima. It was conquered in 1485 by Rodrigo Ponce de León, Duke of Arcos, in 1490 it belonged to the house of Arcos. In the XVIII century many leather factories that follow the Muslim tradition of the leather goods. These days it is one of the main leather workplaces in Europe.
Ubrique Monuments
Church of San Antonio
Convent of Capuchinos
Church of San Juán Letrán
Church of San Pedro
Church of Jesús
Parish Church Ntra. Señora de la O
Public Fountain
Old Quarter
Town Hall
Fatima Castle
Building ABC (Santa María)
Calvario
Casa Solariega (1925)
Casa Dintel (S XVI)
Tres Cruces
Fuente de los Nueve Caños
Roman City of Ocuri/Archaeological Site of Ocuri
Interesting Routes
Roman Paved Road
Salto del Pollo
Castle of Fátima
Nava de la Merga
Ruta Comercial
Ubrique, rincones de Historia
Ubrique Serrano
Ubrique between the XV – XIX centuries
Ubrique desfiladero romántico
Ubrique Gastronomy
In Ubrique you can taste the products from its mountains, like the Iberian sausages, games, sheep’s cheese, tagarninas (plants cooked in porridges, salads, soups of with scrambled eggs) and asparagus.
As for its confectionery we can emphasize the borrachos (sponge cakes soaked in alcohol), gañotes (made with egg, flour, cinnamon, sugar, grated lemon peel, olive oil and sesame) and French toasts.
How to get there
Ubrique is located to 106 kilometres from the capital and to arrive by car you have to take the AP4 towards Jerez, once there, take the motorway Jerez-Arcos (A-382) and then the locals A-374 towards Ubrique.
Distances from Ubrique
Cádiz 107 km
Ronda 48 km
Sevilla 124 km
Grazalema 25 km
Jerez de la Frontera 75 km
The Chapel of San Juan de Letrán – Historical Interpretation Centre of Ubrique
This is the chapel of San Juan de Letrán, a remarkable 17th century building, where the visitor can experience the history of the municipality through the large books which recount the past and the present of one of the most beautiful places in Andalusia, set in the heart fo the Sierra de Cadiz.
With its curious octagonal plan, its extraordinary feature is its facade which is clearly inspired by that of Sant´Andrea de Mantua (Lombardy, Italy), the world famous work of the fifteenth century architect Leon Battista Alberti. In fact, it is the only Spanish church that has this arrangement.
Though its volumes the Interpretation Centre shows us the history of Ubrique from the time of the Palaeolithic collectors to the Second Republic not forgetting the handcrafts and the leather industry, nor its identifying features such as the Crujia de Gamones fiesta, the attactions of Carnaval, the costumes, bullfighting and popular religious ceremonies. An important part of its library is dedicated to these and other very attractive traditional fiestas, it also features the leather industry which for many centuries has made the name Ubrique famous in the large national and international markets for its skilled work and its quality.
At the gates of the Old Quarter of town, it is an obligatory stop for all visitors to the Sierra de Cadiz.
The unique character of Ubrique
Set in the heart of the Sierra de Cadiz, the town of Ubrique is famous for its tanned leather, the main source of income for the population since Roman times, but it is also famous for its history, and its cultural and ethnographic heritage, which has made it one of the most distinctive of the White villages in the Sierra de Cadiz.
The production of leather goods, which is an activity inherited from the ancient Roman tanneries, has given Ubrique a privileged position within the socio-economic panorama, because its leather products are highly valued throughout the world, both for their variety and for their quality and the finish of the product. Nowadays, the majority of the populations are employed in this industry.
This town possesses an attractive culture and heritage. The Leather Museum, in the Convent of the Capuchinos (17 Cent) displays the leatherwork tradition of the town from its beginnings, while the Historical Interpretation Centre of Ubrique recounts the past and the present of the town. There are other elements which stand out in it narrow streets, adapted to the relief of the terrain; its historic centre, declared as Bien de Interés Cultural in 2003 under the category Historic Complex, the Town Hall, the church of Our Lady of O, the fountain in the square, the Neo-classical Chapel of San Pedro, the ancient parish church of San Antonio, and the Castle of Fatima (to which access is restricted), from which one can make out the Roman ruins of Ocuri, situated two kilometers from Ubrique.
A number of traditional fiestas are celebrated throughout the year, but one in particular is characteristic of the town, the “Crujia de Gamones”, which was declared a Fiesta of Tourist Interest in 2008. The whole town comes out to pop “gamones” (Asphodels), a wild plant which, when heated and smashed over a stone, produces a loud explosion. As for its gastronomy, which has been influenced by the different cultures which have inhabited Ubrique, of note are the typical sweets known as “gañotes”.
Its strategic position on the slopes descending from the sierras Of Libar, Ubrique, Alta, and Silla, make various leisure activities possible, such as bird and animal watching, hiking or walking around the urban area, in particular on the Route of the Miradors, which goes around the old part of town, visiting seven viewpoints (miradors).
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Buenas tardes;
Quisiera informacion para hacer un curso para aprender a hacer bolsos de piel, hacer patron, cortar piel, unir piezas, pegar con pegamento, conrtafuertes, entretelas, coserlas piezas con maquina especial de piel, terminar el bolso, practicas totalmente desarrolladas por alumno, quisiera despues de hacer el curso poder hacer yo misma bolsos grandes medianos y pequeños para poder diseñarlos y poder tener una marca de bolsos en el futuro.
gracias
Maria