16 Sep What to do and what to see in Comares, a white town of muslim origin in the Axarquia

In part I have to thank the Coronavirus. This year he has forced me to spend all my holidays in Spain and has allowed me to discover such beautiful towns as Comares, located in the foothills of the Montes de Málaga. Known as the Balcony of the Axarquía, Comares is a white town of Muslim origin that stands out for the traces of its Arab and medieval past. If you want to know what to do and what to see in Comares, keep reading 😜

How to get to Comares

The first thing is to know how to get to Comares. Get ready, because it is a road full of curves! For those of you who like to drive, like me, you will be delighted with the road, but for those who don’t, you can suffer a bit 😂

I also tell you, BEWARE OF THE GPS! I was in a rural house next to Almachar and I put the Waze to get to Comares. On a couple of occasions he tried to put me through super narrow dirt roads lost from the hand of God… How can I tell you that at a given moment I I crossed with a pastor and he put a face on me about what is this crazy woman doing that I had to turn around 😂. Conclusion, I didn’t take care about the GPS and decided to go on a paved road and lose 20 minutes of time but save my life haha.

If you do a day trip from Malaga, you have several itineraries. The fastest and safest way, through the A-7 to Torre del Mar, will take you 1 hour and it is 55 kms. I would definitely go for that option!

History of Comares

I do not want to say much about the story of Comares, but I find it interesting to tell some things 😉. And it is that several civilizations have passed through Comares: Greeks, Romans, Muslims and Christians.

First, the Phocaean Greeks around the 7th century BC. when they reached the coasts of Malaga and Torre del Mar. It was already in the 8th century when it began to be considered a Muslim fortress.

The name Comares comes from the Arabic term Qumaris or Hisn Comarix, which means castle in the heights and refers to the fortress of Mazmúllar, located on the hill near the west of the town and built by the Phocaean Greeks in the 7th century BC. C.

In 1490 Comares was repopulated by Christians and in 1512, after a trade carried out by Juana I of Castile, Queen of Castile, the Marquis of Comares was born.

As a curiosity, I can tell you that after the reconquest of Comares, thirty Moorish families that remained in the town were converted to Christianity. This massive baptism took place in the well-known Calle del Perdón. This act is remembered after each high mass on Sundays and holidays with thirty bells after the three rings of rigor.

It was in 1570 when the Moors were definitively expelled from their lands.

What to see in Comares

Finally we are going with what to see in Comares!

As I told you before, Comares is very marked by its Arab past and you can see it in several of its monuments and areas.

What I liked the most was the town. Its labyrinthine streets, all the white buildings and the route that they have made with tile tracks. Super original! I could make you a route of where you have to go, but follow these footprints, they will take you through all the monuments and important areas of Comares. A very creative way to organize a tourist route through the town!

Aljibe de Mazmúllar

It dates from the 14th century and in 1931 it was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument. It is shaped like a rectangle and is located on the Meseta de Mazmúllar, a city from the 9th to 10th centuries where remains of ceramics and some skeletons have been found.

Arab arches, a must see in Comares

As I was saying before, Comares is full of labyrinthine streets. Well, in some of its oldest streets you can see Arab arches.

But there is certainly a very photographed and very famous area on Instagram. A small street with two well-preserved arches from the medieval period. Here is my photo 😉!

Castillo de la Tahona and la Tahoncilla

This large Muslim fortress can be enjoyed at the top of the town, next to the cemetery.

Just at the opposite end of the Torre de La Tahona, is La Tahoncilla, a small tower that was part of this Comares fortress.

Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación: Christian representation of what to see in Comares

As I was telling you a while ago, the year 1500 the Christians appeared in Comares and with them their buildings. Representing Christianity you can see the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation, a Mudejar work from the 16th century.

It is built on a quadrangular plan divided into three naves separated by six pointed arches and walls with Mudejar armor. The tower rises on the right side with arches framed in alfiz.

If you want more information about Comares tourism you can visit its official website! And if you are thinking of organizing a trip to Spain or a road trip, you can contact me and I will be happy to give you a hand 😜