A detail of the
local architecture |
The village of Tolox is situated in the centre of
the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, at the foot of the Sierra Blanca and
the Sierra Parda. It is a privileged spot in which the main features, in
addition to La Torrecilla Peak (1,919 metres in height), are the ancient
woodland of Spanish fir and the gall oak groves.
A stroll round Tolox’s winding streets, with
white-washed houses and doors and windows overflowing with flowers, makes it
quite clear that this village clings onto its roots and it has, in fact,
received a prize for its beauty on several occasions. Although Neolithic
remains have been found in the so-called Cueva de la Tinaja (the Cave of the
Earthenware Vat), four kilometres from the town, in the upper area of the
Los Horcajos river, everything seems to indicate that the actual settlement
of Tolox is Phoenician in origin. But Roman remains like the Latin stone
discovered in 1770, the structure of the streets, the numerous water
channels and terracing for growing crops are an indication that the Romans
and Arabs have passed through the area too. The
most outstanding item is the remains of the castle wall, which is Phoenician
in origin, although it later fell into the hands of the Romans. In 883 –
the first real historical data we have about the origin of the settlement -
the castle was captured by the rebel leader Umar ibn Hafsun, who fortified
it and made it one of the most important in his kingdom. It was also a key
position for the Cordoba emirs. On the death of Omar in 917, one of his four
sons, Soleiman, inherited the castle, but he was defeated by Abderramán in
921, who destroyed the Alcazaba and ordered a mosque to be built on the
spot. The municipality was incorporated into the Catholic Crown in 1487. A
name we have from that time is one Angulo Sancho (governor of Tolox), who
received seven parts in the sharing out of the lands in 1488. The catholic
Monarchs allowed all Moors who wished to do so to remain living in the area,
although in a ghetto and under the condition that they would swear loyalty
to the Monarchs. Their religion, justice system and language would be
respected, but this magnanimity did not survive subsequent Spanish kings:
they were eventually given the choice of being baptised or banished to
Africa. A story from Christmas Eve, 1568, tells of an argument that arose
between a servant girl and the daughter of a Moorish chief on the question
of pastry making. The Morisca, as the "converted" Moors were
called, threatened the Christian girl and told her of a trap set for the
Christians that very night. A few days of savage slaughter followed, and the
Christians were forced to seek refuge in the Castle of Alozaina while the
Moriscos burned their homes.
Places
to be visited
 |
Town
centre
The old part of the town is on a hill, while the newer part
extends towards the east. The streets are steep and winding, and
the town has two squares, one called Plaza Alta and the other the
Plaza de los Poyos, where the statue to the mountain goat normally
stands although it is now at the spa, acting as a lookout point
for the village. Two of the town’s ferias, the El Carmen and the
San Roque, are held in the main square. The best buildings are
grouped round these two squares and the main streets: Calle Ancha,
Villa Baja, Villa Alta and Calle Churruelo, among others. The
Plaza Alta is where the street market is held on Wednesdays.
Visitors should not miss the district of the town called La
Rinconada del Castillo, where there are remains of the Moorish
civilisation. The church of San Miguel (St Michael’s) has three
naves separated by semi-circular arches dating from the sixteenth
century. Other interesting points about this building are the
elliptical dome in the main chapel and the decorative designs in
the main nave.
Natural surroundings
The Mountains of Toloz were officially declared to the Nature Park
Sierra de las Nieves in 1989, due to the area’s exceptional
ecological value. The range comprises two areas: the Sierra Blanca
and the Sierra Parda. The highest peak in these mountains include
the Torrecilla (highest in the province of Malaga at 1,919 metres
above sea level), the third deepest pothole in the world: the Sima
G.E.S.M., at 1,100 metres deep) and the Cave of La Tinaja, among
others, where pre-historic remains were discovered. There are
three rivers in the area too, and numerous streams. The Río Verde
provides water for part of the Costa del Sol, and the other rivers
are the Caballos and the Alfaguara. These last two join up to make
the river Almozara, a tributary of the Rio Grande. Although the
most representative animal in the park is the Mountain Goat, there
are other species too: the royal eagle, the mountain cat, the hawk
and many more. The area is rich in vegetation, with species like
the pinsapo, a rare Mediterranean pine, and some species in
extinction like the Tejo and ancient oaks that make the Quejigal
de Tolox so well-known.
Museum of Arts and Crafts
House Museum. Open from 11 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., Mondays to
Sundays. Entrance free. Tel: 952 487 333.
|
| Where
to eat |
Restaurante La
Rústica. Avenida de San Roque, 31. Tel: 952 487 205.
Venta Verita. Home cooking.
Terraza. Las Millanas, s/n. Tel: 952 480 170.
Restaurante Nieto. Tapas and
dining room. Avda. de San Roque, 6. Tel: 952 487 246.
Tapas
Bar La Herradura. C/García
Rey, 6, Terraza La Alberca. C/Encina, 65, Bar Damian. Plaza Alta,
3,
Bar Mancilla. Plaza de la
Contitución 5, Bar La Calzada. C/Calzada, 8, Bar Bodegón.
C/Encina,82.
|
| Where
to sleep |
Hotel
del Balneario(2*). Health treatment. Tel: 952 487
091.
Pensión Martín(P**). Avda.
del Balneario, 67 Tel: 952 487 049.
Pensión Las Flores(P*). Avda.
del Balneario, s/n Tel: 952 487 001.
Pensión La Fuensanta(P*).
C/Animas, 1. Tel: 952 487 103.
Casa Rural El Rincón de Pepe.
For 4 people. Avda. del Balneario, 25. Tel: 952 487 312.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
| Links |
| PSOE
(political party) party in Tolox – On this page
one can find everything relating to Tolox, with ample text and
pictures.
|
Parish church |
FIESTAS
The most important festival in Tolox
takes place from August 14th to 17th, this being the
Feria in honour of San Roque, patron saint of the town. Especially
interesting in this festival is the Cohetá, which takes place on August
16th, in which more than 60,000 fireworks are set off during
the procession. Other interesting traditional events in the town include
the carnival, celebrated with music, dancing and fancy dress; Holy Week
with its colourful processions and singing; the Día de San Juan, with
bonfires and music, and the Día de las Mozas or La Inmaculada, with the
traditional "Cencerrada"(cowbell ringing). The origin of this
tradition goes back to the 17th century when the Moriscos were
expelled from Tolox. The Moriscos surrounded the church while it was full
of Christians, and their situation looked desperate. They sent an urgent
message to Alozaina, requesting reinforcements, and a small group of men
were sent to their aid. To give the impression of larger numbers, they
rang cowbells as they went along. And finally, there is the annual
Folklore Festival, in which various events relating to Spanish folklore
are organised.
GASTRONOMY
Confectionery occupies a very important place
in the rich gastronomy of Tolox. Sweet rings, pasties, olive oil cakes and
fig bread can be found in any of the shops in the municipality. The
pastries exquisitely carved in almond and dried fruits are a tradition
passed on from generation to generation in the same family. And for the
lovers of good food there are cold meats, a special local soup, kid with
fried pumpkin or marinated with orange and salt cod drizzled with an
excellent wine.
If you go shopping you
should not forget to have a look at the local handicrafts either, made
predominantly with esparto grass, palm, the Agave plant and carved wood.
Numerous everyday utensils are made, as well as saddles and harnesses, and
there is a permanent exhibition of old utensils in the House Museum of
Arts and Crafts, situated beside the tourist office.
|
