A taste of Cordoba's Subbética travels down to the Costa del Sol

La Súbbetica is a district in the province of Cordoba that comprises 14 pretty towns and villages set in beautiful countryside cut through by the rivers Guadajoz and Genil. It is a magnet for nature lovers, offering activities from gentle hiking to thrilling rafting, and also attracts visitors looking for top quality local produce - especially extra virgin olive oil and wine - and fine dining.

The surprise, therefore, is that the district is little-known among foreign visitors to Spain and even those who live on the Costa del Sol for some or all of the year.

SUR in English got together on Thursday this week with the Subbética authorities to try to fill that gap and bring the district, its mountains, its villages and its produts to the Costa del Sol. Around 100 SUR in English readers accepted an invitation to Holiday World's Hotel Polynesia to find out more about this part of Cordoba province and sample what it has to offer.

The delegation that travelled down to the Costa included representatives of the Cordoba Diputación provincial council, as well as from the Subbética Mancomunidad de Municipios and from several of the town halls in the area. The municipalities included in the Subbética are Almedinilla, Benamejí, Cabra, Carcabuey, Doña Mencía, Encinas Reales, Fuente-Tójar, Iznájar, Lucena, Luque, Palenciana, Priego de Córdoba, Rute and Zuheros.

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Guests at the event were welcomed by the president of the Mancomunidad and the mayor of Priego de Córdoba, Juan Ramón Valdivia.

"The Subbética is a place that is close but full of surprises. It has everything that makes Andalucía special," he said. "The climate is milder. Every street has a story to tell. It is very different from the Costa and so a cultural alternative. We hope you leave with the desire to visit the Subbética," he added.

Among the authorities attending the event was Francisco Casas, deputy mayor of Cabra and vice-president of the Mancomunidad, the entity formed by mayors and councillors from all of the 14 towns and villages that offers joint services to the area, among them tourist promotion.

"This is a fundamental showcase for us; we've come to the Costa to show the special charm and the products we have so that more people know about us and we can gain more visitors. We are in a strategic position, in the centre of Andalucía, we have a lot to offer and our aim is to come here to show it off," said Casas at the start of the evening.

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Félix Romero, vice-president of the Cordoba Diputación provincial authority and president of the provincial economic development institute Iprodeco, had also come to Benalmádena to support the initiative. "The Subbética is very near the Costa del Sol," he pointed out, "It is an attractive part of the province of Cordoba for many reasons: its heritage, culture, nature. And of course you can see here the gastronomic attraction," he said pointing to the tables laid out with local products from different designations of origin, from olive oil to cheese, sausage, breadsticks and olives, among other delicacies.

Romero also referred to the environmental value of the area, which is protected as a natural park (Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas) and has also been classed as geopark by Unesco due to its great geological value.

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"The area is five million years old. It's an environmental gem for nature tourism. And we have the best, most awarded, olive groves in the world here," he added.

Romero, along with the other Subbética representatives in Benalmádena on Thursday evening, stressed the importance of attracting foreign visitors to this area just across the border from the province of Malaga and just an hour from the Costa del Sol.

And many of the foreigners in Benalmádena on Thursday who were able to get a taste of the area said they were determined to visit.

Among them was Patricia Pearson, 80, from Liverpool who, without being resident, spends as much time as she can at her home in Benalmádena Pueblo. She, like many guests on Thursday, had been to Cordoba city and Lucena, but had never explored the rest of the Subbética. "I'd love to be able to book on the coach trip," she said, referring to the visits being organised at the event.

These coach trips will take place on 15 and 22 May, the first Nature and Heritage and the second, Patios and Wine. Click here for more information and to reserve a place.

Meanwhile Gerry Sawler, here on holiday for three months from Canada, said "This is pretty impressive, the food is delicious, and the information on the area is good. We weren't really aware of the area, but we'd certainly be interested in visiting, for sure," he said.

Michael and Pamela Kelly from Ireland spend their winters in Los Boliches. They had also been to Cordoba city but not to the Subbética area. "It's fabulous, absolutely beautiful, very impressive" they said. They said they were certainly keen to visit the area "especially if this is an example of the food there; the cheese is fabulous", said Pamela.

Also among the delegation from Subbética were María Camacho, president of the local tourist initiative centre, David Ruiz, mayor of Rute, Lope Ruiz, mayor of Iznájar, and Antonio García, councillor of Iznájar.

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Guests were able to enter a raffle for excursions in the area as well as sign up for the coach trips from the Costa del Sol in May.

The products that guests were able to sample at the event included:

Fino wines from DO Montilla-Morales (Bodegas Mencianas) and anisette and liqueurs from Rute; cheeses from El Palancar (Carcabuey), La Celada (Iznájar) and Quesería de las Sierra Subbéticas (Zuheros); sausage and cold meats from Embutidos El Rubio (Almedinilla) and Chopped Crismona (Doña Mencia); crisps from Muñoz (Doña Mencia) and San Nicasio (Priego de Córdoba); breadsticks from Panadería Leiva (Benamejí); olives and pickles from Encurtidos Brigantes (Benamejí); a glass of 'salmorejo' from 4U Servicios Turísticos; and sweets from Jovianes (Iznájar), Pastelitos de la Reina (Fuente-Tójar); Delicias de Turrolate (Priego de Córdoba); and Sabor a España (Lucena).