It is curious that this village, since its foundation, took the name of the river and not vice versa, while it is a custom that the river that runs through a village adopts the name of the village. Perhaps this shows how depending this town was on its river, whose name refers to the amount of water or to the minerals in it 'gordo (fat)'. Long ago, the present River Cueva was known as River Gordo and Gold River, around which were established, in the early Neolithic, human settlements, particularly in the area of  the Tajo de Gomer.

From the Phoenician colonization, tombs have been found near the Sierrecilla del Rey, and with the Roman period correspond Las Villas Auto: Llano del Rey and Capellanía, with magnificent mosaics of the third century. But surely, the town owes its economic expansion to the Muslim era, which also left traces, including topographical names such as Cerro de Alcolea, or Partido de Bendamor, or Cortijo Alfajan.

After being conquered by the Christians in 1487, Riogordo depends on Comares and most of its lands fell into the hands of Francisco de Coalla, ruler of Malaga, first lord of Auta and warden of Comares.

Places of interest are the church Nuestra Señora de Gracia, built in 1490, the hermitage San Sebastian from the late 17th century and the Municipal Museum of Popular Arts, a museum with a large collection of tools to show how the life and habits of the people which were living here.