This municipality in the province of Malaga is located in the region of Antequera, 73 kilometres from Málaga. Nearby is the famous Fuente de Piedra (Stone Spring), a nature reserve of great ecological interest.
The area has had inhabitants since prehistoric times and later continued to be inhabited by the Phoenicians and Romans, who attributed divine medicinal properties to the waters of the spring. Apparently, the Romans hunted the flamingos of the area to prepare some of their dishes.
The Arabs dominated this place until the arrival of the Christian armies in 1461 and it was abandoned from that year onwards; until Antequera decided to use its waters for the sick, who came to the spring to drink the water in 1547.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century, there was a great crisis which, together with the constant droughts of the spring, caused the spread of epidemics due to the vapours of the stagnant waters; therefore, it was decided to bury the spring in 1959, until it was excavated in 1983 and declared a symbol of the municipality of Fuente de Piedra.
The lagoon of Fuente de Piedra was exploited for its salt content between 1930 and 1951 and flamingo hunting was resumed, as it was believed that they would in some way avoid the crystallisation of the salt. In 1981, the lagoon was bought and declared a nature reserve by the Andalusian government.
The saltwater lagoon of Fuente de Piedra concentrates the largest colony of flamingos in the peninsula and the best time of year to observe them is during the morning hours in spring.
In this municipality, the olive oil and the flour produced there are very popular; gastronomy is also very appreciated and among the typical dishes you can find "gazpacho", the Antequera "porra" and "migas".
Gazpacho
This cold soup consists of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olive oil and bread. It is a highly recommended dish, especially in summer, as it is very refreshing.
Porra
It is very similar to gazpacho but a little thicker and is usually served with diced ham or tuna and hard-boiled egg.
Migas
Made with hard breadcrumbs and water and can be accompanied with chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage), melon or other produce.
Fuente de Piedra is one hour from the centre of Malaga if we use the A-92. You can see the route we have selected on the map below; if necessary, you can hire a car with GPS in Malaga to avoid detours and plan your route in advance.