Las Gabias
Las Gabias is the perfect destination for lovers of archaeology and sports such as horse riding, golf or sport shooting. It is made up of many small villages, including Gabia Grande and Gabia Chica, all with a rich history of the different civilisations and cultures that have lived there over the years. It has about 18, 900 inhabitants.
History
The first signs of human presence in Las Gabias date back several thousand years, as evidenced by the ancient Roman villa. During the period of Roman rule, the population moved to a nearby area where an important Roman settlement was located. Although the ruins of an oil mill and some dwellings have been discovered, the only visible feature of the site is a cryptoporticus. More recently, Roman remains have been found in the hamlet of Híjar. More>
Things to see
Torre El Fuerte
The tower is one of the best-preserved Nasrid farmhouse towers in the province and the only one that retains its original plasterwork and tilework. Currently, it has three floors and a terrace, as one entire floor and the vault of the lower floor were demolished in 1506. It has a rectangular floor plan, measuring 11x8m at its base. Its walls are constructed of thick rammed earth, later plastered with lime mortar. A projecting balcony opens halfway along its southwest face, created during the Christian era on the site of what must have been the original entrance to the tower, as evidenced by the remains of limestone blocks visible on its sides, from which it would have been built. Located in Plaza del Fuerte.
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
It is estimated that the chapel was built in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Its structure incorporates several different architectural styles, reflecting the building’s evolution over time. The domes and vaults are Baroque, the frieze and walls are Renaissance, and the niche of its patron saint, Virgen de las Nieves, is Rococo. It is located in Plaza Ermita.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
The church was conceived as a Neo-Gothic style church, in which the tower is perhaps its most distinctive feature: a tall, square-based tower located centrally at the foot of the main façade, topped by an octagonal section crowned with a pointed spire. Organised around three naves, the exterior displays narrow pointed arch windows set between prominent buttresses. Inside, various sculptures, paintings, and altarpieces of interest from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are preserved. Among them, the Cristo and San Juan stand out, images attributed to the School of Pablo de Rojas. Located in Plaza Iglesia.
Things to see outside the town
Villa Romana de Las Gabias
The archaeological site comprises a villa dating to the Late Roman period and a building known as the Underground Monument or Cryptoporticus, about which several theories have been proposed, none of which are conclusive. The Roman villa includes two distinct areas: one defined as the urban area and the other as the rural area, where a structural complex dedicated to oil production has been uncovered. Archaeological layers in the Cryptoporticus have yielded materials dating to the first century AD.
Villa Romana de Híjar
The excavated remains belong to the “pars fructuaria” (fruitful area) of a Roman villa, with two phases of use and dedicated to olive oil production. Scholars and researchers date it to the period between the mid-second century AD and the first half of the fourth century AD. This is one of the few villas in the Province of Granada where structures have been documented that attest to this productive activity, such as the cella olearia (olive storage cell), related to olive storage, built using opus caementicium (Roman masonry). A necropolis with two phases of use is associated with this villa: one Roman and the other medieval. The Roman phase contains tombs of various types, some with gabled roofs of tegulae (roof tiles) and others constructed of brick with flat roofs. This necropolis remained in use until the medieval period, at which time burials were carried out in individual pits dug directly into the ground and arranged in rows. The remains found are generally oriented towards the southeast, positioned in a right lateral decubitus position, with the left arm flexed over the pelvis and the right arm extended. Located north of the town.
Sport
There are plenty of opportunities for sport in Las Gabias. The village is home to Campo de Tiro Olímpico Juan Carlos I, a shooting stadium. Granada Golf, an 18-hole golf course, is also found here, as well as Granja Escuela Malpasillo: this centre organises equestrian treks, mountain biking routes, hiking routes and other outdoor activities.
Golf
If one had plans to golf in Las Gabias, where better to golf than the Granada Club Golf Course with 18 holes, club and buggy hire as well as a bar and restaurant in the Club House.
Bus Service
There are bus services from Las Gabias to Granada City, Cúllar Vega, Armilla, Churriana de la Vega, Híjar, Gabia Chica and Gabia Grande. More>
GASTRONOMY
Typical delicacies in Las Gabias include puré de cebollas (puréed onions), habas con bacalao (broad beans with cod), huevos revueltos con espinacas (scrambled eggs with spinach), potaje de garbanzos (chickpea stew), perdices (partridge), olla de San Antón (chickpea stew) and puchero de coles (cabbage stew). For something sweeter, try leche frita (fried custard) and torticas (pastries).
Festivals
Popular festivals in Las Gabias are Día de San Antonio, Festividad de Las Cruces, Fiestas Patronales de San Isidro, San Marcos and Fiestas Patronales. More>
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast for the next few days for Las Gabias. More>
Tourist Office
The tourist office of Las Gabias is located in the Town Hall. More>
Nearby Places
The neighbouring villages to Las Gabias are Cúllar Vega, Churriana de la Vega and La Malahá.