Comares

Area: 25.30 sq. kms
Number of inhabitants:
Descent: Comareños
Monuments: Castle of Comares, Moorish water reservoir of the Meseta de Mazmúllar and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
Geographical situation: 28 kms. From Malaga and 24 from Vélez
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Plaza del Generalísimo, 1. 29195. Phone: 952 509 233 Fax:

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


Outstanding visits
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