They live beneath the massive rocks! In this town, the sky is not visible.

Setenil de las Bodegas in the Andalusia region of southern Spain astonishes visitors with its unconventional architecture. In the town built inside a canyon shaped by the river over thousands of years, some houses and streets lie directly beneath massive rock masses.

The most distinctive feature that sets the town apart from other historic settlements is that its buildings are positioned between the rocks. The region's first inhabitants, rather than breaking apart the massive stones or carving into the mountain, built their homes by erecting walls in front of natural rock cavities.

The Roofs of the Houses Are Millennia-Old Rocks

When entering some houses, restaurants, and businesses in Setenil de las Bodegas, one is confronted with an unconventional view. The buildings' ceilings are formed directly by massive rock masses instead of concrete or wood.

Thanks to the insulation provided by the natural rocks, the interiors of these structures stay cool in summer and warmer in winter. A significant portion of the cave-like homes once inhabited by people is now used as restaurants, cafés, and shops.

A Rock Mass Is Seen Instead of the Sky

One of the town's most striking points is the Shadow Caves Street, known in Spanish as "Calle Cuevas de la Sombra".

This narrow street, where white houses are lined side by side, loses almost all daylight due to the towering rock mass above it. Walkers looking up find a natural ceiling formed by the massive rock instead of the sky.

"Cuevas del Sol", meaning Sun Caves Street, located a few meters away, receives direct sunlight, the opposite of the other street. The names of the two streets in the town derive from this pronounced light difference between them.

Setenil de las Bodegas stands out as one of Andalusia's most fascinating historic towns thanks to this unconventional settlement intertwined with nature.