Fuente de Alcaucín |
The municipality of
Alcaucín extends into the northern part of the Axarquía, between
the Sierra de Tejeda and the flatter Periana area, between the spectacular
Boquete de Zafarraya cliffs and the Axarquía mountains. The most direct
road to the town is by the main road to Vélez. From this road we turn
off onto the la Viñuela road and continue on until we reach Puente Don
Manuel, an important
cross-roads in the Axarquía, where we find the road that
brings us directly to Alcaucín. As soon as we enter the town we can see
the clear Morisco influence,
with low houses, whitewashed facades and above all,
the narrow, winding streets. Everything centres on the town square, the
former Plaza de San Sebastian
that has now been re-named the Plaza de la Constitución,
where the church and the Town Hall building stands. Most of the
old buildings and houses of the town date from the 17th and 18th centuries,
when the palatial mansions on calle Arcos and calle Nueva were built,
each with its coat of arms. The
town¹s name is Arab in origin, deriving from Al Cautin, meaning The
Arches. Some historians have
suggested the reason for this being the existence
of an aqueduct in the area, while others believe the name refers to
the abundance of yew trees, the wood of which was used to make bows (arco
translates as either arch or
bow) for warfare and hunting. What is certain is
that the area has been populated since pre-historic times, as is evident
in the remains found in the
Boquete de Zafarraya. It is also believed that the
fortress of Zalia was built by the Phoenicians and later occupied by
the Moors, falling the the
Christians in 1485 when the castle was used as a prison
for rebel Moriscos. It was besieged during the Napoleonic invasion in
a later period. But the worst
disaster that ever befell Alcaucín was the earthquake
of the late 19th century that destroyed houses and changed the course
of underground streams.
Places
to be visited
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Church
of El Rosario and Hermitage of El Calvario
The church was built in the early
part of the 18th century and inaugurated in April, 1732. Its basic
shape is two naves supported by three semicircular arches, with a
circular side chapel decorated in plaster in the rococo style. The
hermitage in the cemetery, known as the Calvario, was founded in
the 18th century and is square in shape with a semicircular arch
doorway.
Archeological
remains
Among the more important
items found is the jaw of a Neanderthal man, dating from 30,000
years ago. The Cueva de los Guaicos and the Abrigo Espino date
from the Neolithic period, and the Cerro de la Negreta finds date
from the Bronze Age.
Sierra de
Alcázar
The Sierra del Alcázar
Nature Park is about five kilometres from the town centre, in the
heart of the Sierra de Tejeda. The Environment Agency has
developed the area for camping, with all relevant services. The
surrounding landscape is dominated by the Alcázar stream, the
vegetation on the banks being lush with lots of black poplars,
oleander and heather. There is a pathway that leads upwards to the
Tajo Fuerte, where one can observe how the vegetation changes,
giving way to junipers, sanamundas and other higher-ground trees.
The Majadas
baths
The Majadas Baths, fed by
sulphur waters and with excellent healing properties (especially
for skin disorders), were used in Moorish times, and up to the
beginning of the last century were still used in the months of
July and August. They can be found at about five kilometres from
the town.
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| Where
to eat |
Mesón El
Ciervo. Plaza de la Salida, 2. Tel: 952 510 031.
Café Bar Silva. C/ La Fuente,
4. Tel: 952 510 013.
Café Bar Enrique. C/ La
Fuente, 14.
Venta La Parra. C/ La Cruz del
Gitano, 1. Tel: 952 115 813.
Café-Bar Fuente La Peña.
Ctra. de Loja, 1. Tel: 952 510 075.
Venta Ruyghar. C/ Buenavista,
2. Tel: 952 510 879.
Mesón
Oracio. C/ Villalatas, 12. Tel: 952 510 875.
Mesón Salia. Puente Don
Manuel, 5.
Café Bar Casa Paco. Puente
Don Manuel, 26.
Restaurante La Era. Puente Don
Manuel, 8.
Café Bar Sara. Urb. Cruce Don
Manuel, s/n.
Café Bar Hnos.Ortigosa. Urb.
Cruce Don Manuel, s/n. |
| Where
to sleep |
Hotel
Romero. Tel. 952 510 804.
Rural
accommodation
Call the following numbers
to rent rural houses in Alcaucín: 952 542 058, 952 536 460,
952 510 052, 952 115 005
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in
Spanish) |
Alcaucín Town Hall |
FIESTAS
Alcaucín celebrates
its Las Candelarias festival in September, with bonfires by
night drawing the entire town to the festivities. The Virgen del Rosario
festival takes place a month
later. On January 20th is the San Sebastián procession,
this saint being the town¹s patron, and there is speech-making in
the late evening. The carnival is very important in this town, featuring
mainly the so-called Grupos de
Judíos more appropriate to the Holy Week celebrations.
The Romería de San Isidro Labrador takes place in the middle of
May, along with a Cultural Week. The Flamenco Festival is held in the
second week of August, and is
one of the most popular in the area.
GASTRONOMY
The most important culinary
delights of Alcaucín are the cod tarts with honey,
the gachas (flour-based garlic mix), the tropezones (small pieces of meat)
and the pumpkins with sardines. There are also the home-made pastries
and breads, olive oil based
tarts and wine doughnuts. All this can be washed down
by the excellent moscatel wine made from local grapes.
THE LEGEND OF ZALIA
A local legend says
that in the Mesa de Zalía there was once an ancient city which some
authorities claim to have been the famous Odyscia, where the adventures of
Ulysses took place while he was travelling these coastlines after the
Trojan War. Some says that the nymph Calypso entertained the King of Itaca
in this place. Another version claims that the city of Tagara was situated
here too. A second legend, of Christian origin, says that Salia de
Patricio, Bishop of Malaga, made his second visit to the town to convert
the people of the area, failing to actually do so. It was night when he
began his journey back to Malaga, and while he travelled the ground opened
up and snakes came out to bite the people of Sália, as a punishment by
the Lord. Not surprisingly, the town has been abandoned since that time.
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