View of Comares
with the castle in the background |
The little village of Comares lies at the dividing
line where the Malaga mountains meet the Axarquía region, in the east of
the province. The best way to reach the village, situated on a natural
terrace, is to take the old mountain road, the N 340, from the city of
Malaga up into the Malaga Mountains Nature Park. Climb up the twisty road
until you come to the country restaurant known as Venta Galgwey, one of the
oldest and most historical of all the old inns on this road, and then turn
right onto the Comares road. At this point the leafy mountains give way to
fields, scattered trees and a large number of farmhouses, many of which
nestle in the hillside towards the bottom of valleys.
Soon you will see the village itself hanging on
to the mountainside, but before you reach it you will pass a large number of
country inns dating from the time, not long ago, when this road was one of
the province’s most important thoroughfares.
From one of these inns, Los Ventorros, there is a magnificent view of the
Mazmúllar Meseta, a solid rock about two kilometres from the village where
the remains of a ninth century Arab settlement and constructed water
reservoir have been found. Carry on into the village and up to the natural
end of the road at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. This is right on the top of a
hill overlooking the Tajo, with a magnificent view over the Axarquía.
The village of Comares is small but quite
charming, with typically Andalusian narrow streets, whitewashed walls and
barred windows, while the sills in front of them are a mass of plant pots
filled with geraniums. The
land around the village is uneven and mountainous, with two large rocky
promontories that are natural balconies looking over the land, one being the
town itself and the other the Hill of Mazmúllar. The River Cauce, the main
source of water, is fed by streams and brooks and surrounds the whole
municipality.
Places
to be visited
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Castle
of Comares
The Moors built a fortress on the site of the old Roman military
post that was, along with the castles of Benthomiz and Zalía, one
of the principal three of the Axarquía. Its name was Hins
Qumarich in Arabic, and the name of the town derives from this.
The area of the castle is known locally as the Tahona, perhaps as
a corruption of the Arabic taha, meaning fortress.
The Meseta de Mazmúllar remains
Just two kilometres from the town is the Meseta de Mazmúllar.
Here we find the remains of streets and houses, and an old water
reservoir built by the Moors and declared a national monument back
in 1931. It has a gallery in three naves and another three naves
joined by a series of arches and vaulted ceilings, making a total
of nine compartments.
Church of Nuestra Señora de la
Encarnación
One of the main buildings in the village is the sixteenth century
Mudéjar church of Our Lady of the Incarnation, built at the
highest point of the town. The original building goes back to 1505
but the side chapel was added in 1721. Two
centuries later, in 1721, the Chapel of the Sagrario was added,
with a gesso dome in the rococo style. The exterior has a tower
built on to the main structure, also of the 16th
century and with arches in the typical Moorish style of the
period. The other tower, over the Capilla del Sagrario, is very
similar to those of El Borge and Vélez-Málaga, with an octagonal
ground plan and highly decorated walls.
The Old Town
Comares is essentiall a town of olive oil, wine and raisins. Its
streets and narrow and winding, with steep hills on different
levels. The upper area of the town is especially interesting,
where one can fins some remains of the old town walls. One of them
is beside the cemetery, worth a special visit too for its original
round shape and white niches.
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| Where
to eat |
El Molino de
los Abuelos. Specialising in home cooking. Balcón de
la Axarquía, número 2.Comares. Tel: 952 509 309.
Bar-Restaurante La Plaza.
Specialising in kid in sauce and home cooking. Plaza
Generalísimo, 3. Comares. Tel: 952 509 298.
Bar-Restaurante Ortega.
Specialising in lamb. Lugar la Loma, 4. Tel: 952 115 333.
Bar Marín. Llano
Almendra, 69. Tel: 952 115 441.
Bar Cabello. Jose Antonio
Primo de Rivera, 21. Tel: 952 509 217.
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| Where
to sleep |
El
Molino Hostal-Restaurante. Barriada Ventorros, 13. Tel:
952 030 012.
Hostal Atalaya. Las
Encinillas, 7. Tel: 952 509 208.
El
Molino de los Abuelos. Balcón de la Axarquía,
number 2. Tel: 952 50 93 09
Camping Mirador de la Axarquía.
Las Encinillas. Tel: 952 509 209 y 952 509 271..
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
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The Molino de los
Abuelos (the Mill of the Grandparents) |
FIESTAS
The days when Comares forgets that it is
a sleepy village and comes to life are August 25th, 26th and 27th, the
time of the fair in honour of St Hilaire de Poitiers. January 14th is when
the image of the patron saint is carried in procession with verdiales
music afterwards. Special mention should be made of the difference between
the verdiales music here and in other places like the Agujero area,
Matagatos, los Pintaos and Barranco del Sol, the music in Comares being
faster in rhythm, with a livelier melody and the use of the lute,
introduced as a novelty some years ago.
GASTRONOMY
While you are here try some of the delicious
local dishes. Soups are the speciality, such as gazpachuelo, and in
winter, potato broth and tomato soup. Because of its proximity to the
Axarqía, the cuisine of the town is not very different from that of the
Axarquía region. The local cuisine is heavier in winter, with potato
stews, tomato soup and the local ajoblanco soup. Comares is also famous
for its sweet muscatel wine.
It is in this village, too, that many of the
costumes worn by flamenco Verdiales groups are created, especially the
spectacular headgear, with ribbons and mirrors. Sandals and baskets made
of esparto grass are also woven here.
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