Many of you will be familiar with our website which over the years has grown to such an extent that we cannot practically add much of the content we would like to share. This blog therefore aims to inform you about our area of Spain, about Periana in particular and to keep you up-to-date with what we are doing in Restaurante Cantueso and our rental cottages. There are already many postings to advise and help would-be visitors to this area and we would encourage you to browse as mostly they are still applicable. We would be very pleased to receive your comments and suggestions and maybe the odd photo. Our normal website is of course still active here.
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Cantueso Periana SL,
29710 Periana (Málaga), Andalucía, Spain
We all like Compliments
Posted on August 2, 2019
Our Team of 2019
Posted on July 1, 2019
Route of the Millennium Olive Trees around Periana
Posted on June 4, 2019
Rutas de los Olivos Milenarios de Periana
We have written before about Periana Gold the verdial type olive oil produced in the village cooperative and it will interest walkers and lovers of the countryside to see that three new walking routes around the olive groves have been established.
These walks are designed to show off some of the district’s ancient trees, one of which is thought to be over 1500 years old. Several others exceed a thousand years and all have been calculated by measuring the girth of the trunk one and a half metres from the ground. Each metre is thought to equal between 200 and 250 years. The oldest to be seen on the walk is known as “El Chato” with a girth of 7.4 metres. Various other wonderful specimens to be seen are known as “The snail”, “The shelf” and “Box Office” all names describing the shape of the trees.
The three routes vary in length and will take between 1.25 and 2.00 hours. The olive oil cooperative are offering guided tours or you may walk independently using maps provided, a link is here. You will see that the routes can be walked separately or joined together for a much longer hike.
The closest route to Cantueso is called “Ruta Cortijo Blanco – Rio Seco” and is 6.3 Km long and should take 1 3/4 hours. In fact Cantueso is along the route so you may start and finish here and no doubt need a cooling drink at the end ? Please make sure that you go prepared for walking in warm weather with proper shoes and plenty of water.
The cooperativo has also produced a special limited batch of Millennium oil using olives from the ancient trees. It can along with several other types be purchased from the cooperative shop in Periana.
For more information on walking in Axarquia see our website walking page here.
And if you are interested to read more about Periana’s Olive oil please see our previous blog here.
The Fiesta of San Isidro
Posted on June 4, 2019
The Festival of San Isidro Labrador
Posted on June 5, 2019
During May guests at Cantueso were able to join in the village festivities in celebration of "San Isidro" an annual event lasting several days with lots of fun for all ages.
San Isidro Labrador is the patron saint of Periana and once a year the inhabitants celebrate a successful harvest with a procession through the streets taking several hours and after which the parties start.
The history of the procession is said to date back to a time when a there was a poor summer with little rain and a resultant low yield harvest. The local farmers paraded the statue of St Isidro though the fields and afterwards the harvest improved and subsequently the grateful villagers were inclined to give their weight in grain every year in thanks.
This is the basis of the procession which today stops under any balcony in the village displaying a decorated shawl or blanket, and the householders pour sacks of wheat into the waiting carriage below. The image of St Isidro, adorned with spikes and red and white carnations is specially constructed so that grain poured from above passes through a funnel into a hopper below. This hopper holds about 500 kilos of grain and when full is put into sacks which will eventually be sold and the proceeds used to defray the cost of future celebrations.
Years ago only the rich could afford to donate wheat (never any other grain) as many families only had enough for their own families, but nowadays many villagers are pleased to take part as a thanks for their families health and prosperity.
The procession was previously in the control of four stewards and their wives always newly married and childless. However it now usually needs ten to fifteen stewards to carry the statue and it is they who control the day’s events and work throughout the year planning and organising.
The original statue of St Isidro was destroyed along with the church in the Periana earthquake of 1884 but subsequently replaced, and during the civil war it was hidden by a quick thinking villager and so survived those troubled times.
Apart from the religious events, Periana has its local holidays for all of the days that the pilgrimage lasts for. From first thing in the morning till the early hours of the next day there'll be more than enough time to taste some of the region's products, eat with friends, drink some wine and enjoy a whole range of acts and events that have been prepared.
THE FINALE
On Saturday the finale, called a Romeria, starts with a procession from the village centre down to the shores of Lake Vinuela. In the lead there are Spanish horses and decorated tractors and even a cart drawn by Oxen. The villagers, many in traditional dress, follow on foot singing and dancing, no doubt in order to work up a thirst for the drink stops along the way. After a good few hours they reach the lakeside and there is music, dancing, BBQ´s and lots of fun lasting well into the night. And for the hardy few the procession returns the next day, albeit at a slightly slower pace, as of course it is uphill!
You can see the latest view of Periana and Lake Vinuela from the live webcam at Restaurante Cantueso or go to the main web site.
Summer Menu 2019
Posted on June 6, 2019We have been working over the last few months on our new menu and hope you will find something to tantalise your taste buds. As always we can accommodate specific allergies and will guide you through the ingredients of each dish, and whenever possible cook a variation to suit your needs.
Click Here for our 2019 menu
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