Subbetica
Priego Stream, Córdoba
The hamlet of El Arroyo de Priego is a scattered settlement situated in the north-east of the municipality, between the “Loma del Santísimo” and the “Sierra de las Ventanas”, along whose slopes flows the stream from which it takes its name; on its banks stand houses and farmsteads that are a clear example of traditional rural dwellings in the Iznaje region.
The Priego stream, a tributary of the River Genil, offers a route of great scenic and natural beauty along its course, with a wide variety of native forest species typical of the Mediterranean woodland, such as holm oak, gall oak, almond trees, pomegranate trees, fig trees, irises, rosemary, saffron, orchids, daisies, gorse and others.
Among the most notable examples of traditional architecture are a number of traditional farmhouses and several springs and small fountains, now converted into wells, from which, until recently, the local homes were supplied with water.
The confluence of the stream with the reservoir is an ideal spot for fishing, and it is also a place where one can observe the wide variety of birds that make their home in the calm waters, such as ducks, cormorants, grey herons, grebes, sandpipers, gulls and others.
As an aspect of popular and traditional culture that still endures in the village, the ‘pig slaughter’ stands out: a family and neighbourhood festival that takes place in the last month of the year.