Canillas de Albaida
still maintains its ancient traditions |
The Axarquía village of Canillas de Albaida is
situated just four kilometres from Cómpeta, on the slopes of the Sierra de
Tejeda and Almijara mountains, at a height of 576 metres above sea level.
The way to get there from Malaga is along the N-340 road until you come to
the crossroads at Algarrobo-Costa. Here you take the C-115 inland towards
the village, which lies 21 kilometres from the coast.
On entering Canillas, one of those on the "Costa del Sol white
villages" route, you come to an esplanade known as Las Esperillas, with
a little shrine dedicated to the Virgin del Rosario. Not far away stands a
tiny shrine to San Antón, a simple seventeenth century building. This is
situated below the village, half a kilometre outside it, on the track that
leads to Árchez.
The whole village is a magnificent maze of streets, twisting and winding at
different levels. Calle Estación is the main thoroughfare, with numerous
steep narrow alleys running off it on either side. El Callejón de Araceli
is one of those which attracts most attention as it is barely possible to
squeeze through between the houses on either side. All the streets lead to
the Plaza del Ayuntamiento e Iglesia, the traditional village square. From
here it is possible to see the shrine to Santa Ana, which dates from the
sixteenth century. Remains of the original stucco lie below the layers of
whitewash. Legend tells that under the shrine to Santa Ana, in the highest
and oldest part of the village, there is a tunnel which nobody has ever
found. This passage, according to tradition, leads to the riverbed and was
used by the Moors to fetch water.
Opposite the shrine is a flat area known as "El
Allaná" where, at barely 20 metres in height, it is possible to see
the outline of doors in the rock. Popular lore tells that these doors were
once real and later blocked up.
A winding track, Arabic in origin and made of stone, leads to the spot known
as Las Cuestas. There is also a stone bridge spanning the Rivers Cájules
and Turvilla.
The surroundings of Canillas de Albaida, rich in pine groves, scrubland and
cork oaks, are ideal for rambling and other rural tourism activities. One of
the best known spots is La Fábrica stream, situated where the La Cueva and
La Turvilla streams meet. This area has facilities for camping and a path
through the woods, which starts right in the village, making access easy.
The Tejeda and Almijara mountain range is now among the areas protected by
the Andalusian Government and is also a shooting reserve. It covers an area
of 20,500 hectares and includes the municipalities of Alcaucín, Canillas de
Aceituno, Sedella, Salares, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Frigiliana and
Nerja in the province of Malaga and part of the province of Granada.
The main species among the local fauna are mountain birds such as the
Egyptian and common vulture. Wild goats also graze here, while, much fewer
in number as their existence is in peril, are mountain cats.
In the surrounding area, too, are several caves, such as the Cueva de las
Piletas, next to the one called La Fábrica de la Luz (the light factory),
so called because of the unusual formation of the stalagmites which form
bowls and fonts of various sizes. The largest caves, however, and the best
known are the Cueva del Agua, which is extremely deep and contains two
chambers that are full of water, and the Cueva del Conejo (rabbit cave),
near the former, between the River Cájula and the pothole known as Hoyo de
Abad.
Historically the origin of Canillas de Albaida goes back to the thirteenth
century. Albaida means white in Arabic, so the village is unquestionably
Moorish. In the Al-hwaz or Vélez archives Canillas de Albaida figures as a
farmstead belonging to this municipality. In 1487 the village followed the
decrees published by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella after the reconquest.
In 1569 the villagers joined forces with the rest of the men in the
Axarquía in the rebellion against King Philip II until they were finally
defeated in the Battle of Frigiliana Rock. It was then that settlers reached
Canillas de Albaida from neighbouring villages and the rest of Andalucía
and the growing of vines, corn and olive trees started.
Places
to be visited
 |
Church
of Nuestra Señora de la Expectación
The village is a wonderful spectacle of winding streets and low
houses, surrounded by a wealth of pines, oaks and low mountain
scrubland. Its church, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la
Expectación, is the main building in the village. It dates from
the sixteenth to seventeenth century and is solid in appearance,
with a rectangular brick and masonry tower, remarkable for its
original sixteenth century patterns on the walls. The interior is
divided into three naves, separated by pillars supporting
semicircular arches. The choir is situated at the base, on two
columns also supporting arches. The most notable aspect of the
exterior is the square-based tower that still retains its original
16th century decoration. The building was re-constructed in the
18th century.
Hermitage of Santa Ana
This hermitage dominates the village from its elevated position,
and it still preserves its original decoration beneath its present
facade. Simple in design, it dates from the 16th century, built
with a single nave covered by a barrel vault. The exterior has an
atrium opened by semicircular arches, with a niche set into each
of them. Thick buttresses support the sides of this section of the
building.
Hermitage of San Antón
The Hermitage of San Antón is in the lower part of the village,
half a kilometre from the centre towards Árchez. It dates from
the 17th century, built with a small, single nave whose ceiling is
structured in wood.
Las Cuestas Moorish road
This is a winding roadway of Moorish origin, made of stones, as is
the bridge over the rivers Cájules and Turvilla. Behind the
present-day parking area at the entrance to the village, there is
the one-time public washing area, where the women of the area
would do their laundry using the water from the stream.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante
La Plaza. Specialising in lamb, kid, roast suckling pig
and a great variety of fresh fish. Plaza Mayor, s/n. Tel: 952 553
254. Canillas de Albaida.
Café-Bar Cerezo. Specialising
in rabbit and chicken in garlic. Large variety of tapas and fresh
fish. C/Estación, 5. Tel: 952 553 018. Canillas de Albaida.
Bar Antonio. In Carretera de
Canillas to Cómpeta. Tel: 952 553 069.
Bar Miguel. In Carretera de
Canillas to Cómpeta. Tel: 952 557 807.
Restaurante Almijara.
C/Estación, 19.
Bar La Piscina. In Calle
Cañuelo.
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| Where
to sleep |
There
are no hotels in the town, but there is a pensión, information on
which is available at the Bar Cerezo. Staying in the municipality
is not a problem, however, since there are many rural houses to
rent in the surrounding areas, owned by people of the town. There
is also accommodation available in many of the houses in the town.
For information, call 952 553 006.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
Hermitage of Santa
Ana |
FIESTAS
The Canillas de Albaida fair, in honour
of the Virgen del Rosario, is held in August, although there are also
festivities around the feast day at the beginning of October. The feast of
San Antón in January and the Día de las Salves (Hail Mary Day) in
February are also celebrated. The village is also the setting for the
"Sierra de Axarquía" Flamenco Festival.
GASTRONOMY
During the festivities special cakes are made
but the most famous of the local dishes are a fennel broth, ajoblanco, kid
and fried pumpkin. All of them should be accompanied by a glass of the local
sweet wine, muscatel. For tapas try onion black pudding and the mountain
chorizo.
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