White villages · Axarquía

Comares

Comares is a white village on a crag 703 metres up in the Axarquía, a former stronghold of the rebel Omar ibn Hafsun whose Arabic name, Hins Comarix, means the castle on the heights.

About Comares

Comares crowns a crest at 703 metres in the foothills of the Montes de Málaga, with views over the Vélez valley, a dozen villages, La Maroma and the sea; it is called the Balcón de la Axarquía. Its fortress was a stronghold of the rebel Omar ibn Hafsun, who defied Córdoba from 880 to 918. Comares surrendered on 29 April 1487. About 1,350 people live here.

Ceramic footprints in the paving lead from Plaza Balcón de la Axarquía past the Puerta de Málaga gateway and Calle del Perdón, where thirty Muslim families were baptised after the surrender, to the church of La Encarnación, built in 1505 on the mosque site, with a Mudéjar coffered ceiling. The route ends at the castle area, with the Tahona tower, walls and a Moorish cistern.

Comares is 48 km by road from Málaga, about 50 minutes, the final climb on a winding mountain road. Park below the main square. Allow two to three hours. The lanes are steep and cobbled with steps up to the castle, so they are not suitable for wheelchairs, though the main square is. It suits photographers and walkers, and a vía ferrata climbs the crag.

Spring and autumn give the clearest views; summer middays are hot. San Hilario is celebrated on 13 January and the fiestas around 23 and 24 August; Comares has its own style of verdiales folk music, played with a lute. Try gazpachuelo, sopa de puchero, chacinas and the sweet local wine. The tourist office opens on weekdays only.

Comares in pictures

The white houses of Comares lined along the top of a steep scrub-covered crag, seen from the road below

Narrow whitewashed lane with a wooden door and stone base, with more houses rising behind, Comares, Málaga

What you’ll find

Car parkParkingFree
CastleCastle visitFree
ChurchChurch visitFree
FestivalAnnual festivalFree
Guided tourGuided tourBook
Hiking trailHikingFree
Historic centreOld town walkFree
Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
Tourist officeVisitor information (08:00–15:00)Free
ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

The Riogordo Ethnographic Museum (8 km) shows the farming life of these hills, and in Colmenar the Honey Museum of Málaga (10 km) explains the beekeeping of the Montes de Málaga. To the south, Macharaviaya (10 km) keeps the church and mausoleum of the Gálvez family, who helped the American colonies win independence. Towards the coast, the Cueva del Tesoro (15 km) at Rincón de la Victoria is one of the few sea caves in Europe that can be visited. Below Comares, the raisin-growing village of El Borge lies on the road down the valley.

Comares at a glance

Category
Culture White villages

Location
Axarquía, Málaga

Town
Comares

Address
Plaza Balcón de la Axarquía, 29195 Comares, Málaga, Spain

Opening hours
Open access; the streets, castle area and viewpoints can be visited at any time. Tourist office (Plaza Balcón de la Axarquía 1): Mon–Fri 08:00–15:00, closed weekends and public holidays.

Prices
Free to walk around; guided tours are paid and booked through the tourist office.

Website
turismocomares.es

Phone
+34 952 509 233

Email
ayuntamiento@comares.es

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