Facade of the
parish church |
In pre-Roman times, Istán
meant "The Pass of the Waters or The Gorge Heights," although the
origin of the name is attributed to Moorish times when the village was known
as "The Highest (Place)." There are three ways to get to Istán:
from the Nagüeles road, from Puerto Banús or directly from the old N-340
at Puente Romano. Approaching from Algeciras or San Pedro de Alcántara, one
can take the tunnel under the road at Puerto Banús or over the bridge at
Puente Romano, in which case one passes by the palace of the King of Saudi
Arabia, where the mosque is situated. The road up is winding and hilly,
ideal for enjoying the beautiful landscape along the 14 kilometres that
bring us to Istán. On one side we pass by the River Verde reservoir, which
provides the Costa del Sol with water all the year round, and on both sides
we can see the Blanca and Real mountain ranges. This is the entrance to the
Sierra de las Nieves mountains, and here there is evidence of the first
Roman settlers to have populated this area. The proliferation of farmhouses
around the vigilance towers in the area gave rise to the beginnings of a
village here at the beginning of the 10th century. These
vigilance towers include the Atalaya de Nargüeles, the Lastonar,
Castillejo, Torre de Istán, Fuerte de Arboto and Venta Quemá towers. The
entire Morsico population of Istán attempted flight to North Africa in May,
1506, but they were detained at the River Verde by Marbella’s Christian
troops in a bloody battle. The survivors were sent to prison and their lands
and wealth passed into Castille Crown hands. The area was seriously
de-populated following the Muslim rebellion of 1569, and King Felipe II was
forced to send in planters from Madrid, Murcia and Extremadura.
Places
to be visited
 |
Town
Centre
The most interesting building in Istán is the parish church of
San Miguel, patron saint of the town. It dates from the 16th
century and was built in a single rectangular nave with timber
structuring and a square area that opens out into the epistle. The
principal façade, since restored, comprises a semicircular arch
supported by pillars, with an open, triangular pediment. The
Baroque steeple is the most interesting element on the outside.
The layout of the town is similar to many other white villages
along the Costa del Sol: low, whitewashed houses with
wrought-ironwork on the windows, small balconies and red, tiled
roofs. One notices here the large number of irrigation channels
that flow through the town, showing a wise use of the natural
resources of the area by the ingenious irrigation and watering
system the Moors used for agriculture and domestic purposes. Among
the many fountains in the village, the best known is the El
Chorro, which has become an emblem of the village itself. It has
seven water pipes, and one can see the marks left by the many
years of use on the ancient stone. The Torre Vigía is in the
upper part of the town, its last inhabitant being the student
Pedro Escalante, the only Christian living in the village during
the Morisco rebellion of 1567.
The lookout point of El Peñón
The beautiful landscape around Istán is best seen from the
lookout point at El Peñón. From here one can see the rivers
Verde and Molinos, named for the many mills along its banks, while
the mountains of the Sierra de las Nieves rise in the background.
The municipal area extends to the foot of the Sierra Blanca
mountains, its highest peak being the famous La Concha mountain
overlooking Marbella. The privileged environment of Istán has
resulted in the decision to build one of the two Environmental
Universities in Spain there.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante
Troyano. Home cooking and tapas. C/Plaza, 3. Tel: 952
869 734.
Restaurante Barón. Terrace
and large dining room. C/Marbella, 8. Tel: 952 869 866.
Restaurante Rincón de Curro.
C/Chorro. Local cuisine. Tel: 952 869 620.
Restaurante Entresierras.
Terrace and large dining room. Avda. Juan Carlos I. Tel: 600 747
137.
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| Where
to sleep |
Rural
house El Matarnillo. 4 rooms. Avda. Juan Carlos I,
40. Tel: 952 869 675.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
Partial view of the
village |
FIESTAS
The festival in honour of Istán’s patron saint, San Miguel, takes place
at the end of September. On the Sunday prior to September 29th,
there is a dawn mass for the so-called "tomilleros", those who
participate in the romería and known as such in reference to the large
quantity of thyme (tomillo) that grows in the area. They then go to the
hermitage carved out of the rock face, three kilometres from the village.
They spend the day there, returning in the evening to take part in the
procession of their saint through the streets. The representation of the
Passion of Christ takes place during Holy Week in Istán, a tradition
recently recuperated by the panochos (Ears of Corn), so called because of
the amount of corn grow in the area. The origin of this theatrical work
goes back, according to parochial dfocuments, to 1666. The players covered
their faces in masks and silently executed the movements dictated by the
text in the main village square. Dialogue was introduced in 1980, and the
use of the masks was discontinued. Another popular festival is the
tostoná, the roasting of the chestnuts, which takes place on November 1st,
All Saints Day. In this, the people of the place eat roast chestnut in the
countryside and drink the local aguardiente. Later in the month, on
November 30th, there is the Day of San Andrés, with the
beating of drums and singing of songs along the streets.
GASTRONOMY
The local cuisine is quite varied,
ranging from kid in garlic to various types of soups and stews. One of the
most representative dishes of the village is the tomato and prickly pear
soup, or the ajoblanco, a type of garlic-flavoured soup. Among the
favourite pastries of the village are the exquisite borrachuelos, pastries
made with liqueur; the puff pastries and the cakes made with olive oil.
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