THE CACHÓN RIVER AND THE WORD "CACHONDEO".
The Cachón River is the union of two streams (Candalar and Zarzuela) that originate in the Sierra de la Plata and borders the town of Zahara de los Atunes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In the time of the “almadrabas'' it was known as the "Río Salado" (Salt River). It is generally fed by sea water and depends on the tides. It has a surface area of 0.045 km2. Etymologically, "Cachón" alludes to a sea wave that breaks on the beach and bubbles or boils (foams).
There are several theories about the birth of the word "Cachondeo":
- The first theory comes from Zahara de los Atunes, the reason being that it is bathed by the river Cachón, to whose name they attribute the origin of the word "cachondeo", as the “almadraberos” would set up their parties on the banks of the river Cachón, once the day was over.
- The second theory is that, in ancient times it was used to refer to the areas where prostitutes settled to offer their services, giving rise to the meaning that explains that "cachondeo" is synonymous with partying.
- The third theory has its origin in the word "cachorro" (puppy) from the uproar caused by young dogs. This is how it appears in the Breve Diccionario Etimológico de la Lengua Española (1961), by Joan Corominas and in the dictionary of the Real Academia de la Lengua.