Comares
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 N340, 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 Galwey, 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
The Castle of Comares is a fortress built by the Moors 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.
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.
One of the main buildings in the village is the 16th century Mudéjar church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, 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.
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.
Basic Data
Size: 25,30 Km²
Population: 1,485
Monuments: Castle of Comares, Moorish water reservoir of the Meseta de Mazmúllar
and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
Tourist info at Town Hall, Plaza del Generalísimo 1, 29195 Comares.
Phone: 952 509 233