El Rodeo Caves (Rojales): where history and art meet
The interesting Rodeo Caves, in Rojales, are located in the south of Alicante and constitute a meeting point for artists from different disciplines.
What are the Rodeo Caves of Rojales?
The small town of Rojales, located in the Vega Baja del Segura region, and a few kilometers from the Costa Blanca, has managed to successfully rehabilitate a historic neighborhood in the upper part of the old town.
In the old and abandoned houses carved out of the rock (caves) settled, more than two decades ago, different artists and craftsmen from different places. Today, in the Rodeo Caves of Rojales, history and art converge.
The place where we currently find the amazing Rodeo Caves of Rojales (there are about 15) was, towards the 1980s, an uncontrolled landfill in which thousands of waste was deposited.
Carlos was one of the pioneers in the rehabilitation of the Rodeo Caves and, as of this publication (2016), he is the manager of the bar cave and the sculpture workshop.
He also told us about the arduous task involved in cleaning and clearing those lands, whose works were followed by conditioning and rehabilitation, in addition to the efforts that allowed the Rojales City Council to take an interest in the place and invest in its enhancement.
The Rodeo Caves of Rojales are located on a hill and distributed in some pedestrian streets. The former were excavated in the 18th century and the latter in the 20th century.
In the middle of the last century, there were about two hundred caves in Rojales. These offered a more resistant home to its inhabitants, in addition to being comfortable and, at the same time, they were not exposed to the fearsome floods of the nearby river Segura.
Currently, the so-called Zoco Arstístico Artesanal Subterráneo Cuevas del Rodeo (Rodeo Caves Underground Artisan Arstistic Souk) is a meeting, exhibition and learning point for, above all, plastic artists, although different courses, activities and concerts are also offered there on a regular basis.
Also, on the first Sunday of each month there is a craft market, which adds attraction to the environment.
How to get to the Rodeo Caves of Rojales?
In the following Google map you can see the exact point where we must reach with our vehicle, where we can park, at the top of the Rodeo Caves of Rojales, next to a school.
La Casa de las Conchas (the house of shells)
In addition, next to the Rodeo Caves and in the lower part of the neighborhood is the curious House of Shells, which was covered with huge amounts of seashells. According to the owner, this task took twelve years.
On the Rojales city council website you can find out all the events and activities scheduled for the following weeks. You can also consult the general blog of the Rodeo Caves of Rojales and that of the cave called Sala Mengolero.
Short video of the Rodeo Caves of Rojales
Links of interest:
14 interesting places to see in Torrevieja.
Torrevieja Pink Lake: a salt lagoon in Spain to see flamingos but not for swimming.
