Where the Castle is watched over by the Guardians of the sky.
Prologue:
Casares is located in the western part of the Málaga Province. This picturesque village sits like a white pearl in a rocky landscape and at its highest point the castle, you can enjoy the splendid panoramic views across the Campo de Gibraltar and along the Mediterranean Coast, and on clear days as far as the African coast. The grounds of the castle also make a good point to view Birds of prey like the Griffon vulture,and the Bonelli's Eagle, or the Red-billed Chough, and many more.
Casares has a long history, and tradition has it that the Roman Emperor Julio Caesar appreciated the healing sulphurous, alkaline waters of the "Baños Hediona" baths. Thereafter followed the Moors, and the Castle and the layout of the village with its narrow windy streets date back to the Moorish times.
The founder of Andalucía, Blas Infate's, birth house is here, and can be visited.
Being just 30 minutes from the Mediterranean Coast, makes this charming village a popular destination for day trippers. You will find many restaurants and bars, the village museum, art shops and near by a cheese factory selling excellent local products.
Even so Casares still retains its traditional historic ambiance and charm.
Casares is known for its biodiversity and for the variety of its landscape.
The Sierra Crestellina with its rugged crested peaks was declared in 1989, as a protected natural area. This small protected natural area is very interesting due to its topography, its limestone rock, and the inaccessible peaks. The rugged but lush terrain is a hidden treat for nature lovers and hikers alike. It is also one of the most important areas in Málaga province where the Griffon Vultures (Buitres leonardo) are found, and where you can witness close up, these majestic birds as they fly weightless in the sky around you.
The Duke's Mountain is between the Sierra Crestelina and the Sierra Bermeja, and is populated by dense cork oak, and Portuguese oak forests, which form part of the Natura 2000 project.
The Sierra Bermeja to the east, is of volcanic origin. Here grows the single endemic species in Andalucía, the Spanish fir (Apies Pinsapo).
Information taken from board.
Information taken from board.
Canuto de Utrera, is a spectacular replica of the Torcal de Antequera.
A place that emerged from the depths of the ocean, and it is a formation of Limestone.
A place that emerged from the depths of the ocean, and it is a formation of Limestone.
Directions:
- Coming from Marbella you have two options, you can take the Toll road Ap-7 or exit to A-7 towards San Pedro de Alcántara, Estepona, Algeciras.
- In Estepona we take the motorway exit 153 for A-7 towards Algeciras, Cádiz.
- At the roundabout take the 3rd exit Pista Colada de los Molinos a E, after approx. 6,2 km you reach a crossroad, turn right onto Ma-8300.
- To the Tourist office Casares, is about 46km/40 min. drive from Marbella.
You find the tourist office on the road A-7150 to west of Casares.
We stopped here and walked up to the viewpoint (Mirador).
Behind me, the Sierra Crestellina and in front the village Casares.
A view towards the east,
Casares castle on top of the hill and beyond the Mediterranean coast.
A view towards the west
and south along the Campo de Gibraltar and the nature park of Los Alcornocales.
A nice walkway towards the village.
A majestic cork oak tree has had its bark removed.
The Karst mountains of Sierra Crestellina.
A majestic cork oak tree has had its bark removed.
The Karst mountains of Sierra Crestellina.
We parked the car in Calle Carrera, which is at the western part of the village.
Casa museo de Blas Infante
The birth place of Blas Infante is situated in Calle Carrera Nº51 and today it is a museum. The building also houses Casares's Tourist Information point and a temporary exhibition hall. For more information Telf.: 0034 600 41 31 21
Blas Infante is known as the father of Andalucía
Born on the 5 July 1885 in Casares, he spent his childhood and early adulthood here.
He was a Spanish Andalucista politician, Georgist, writer and historian, executed by Franco's forces in Sevilla on 11 August 1936.
In Casares, Blas Infante had his first contacts with the agricultural world and the daily problems of labourers in Andalusia. This marked the rest of his life and his work.
In the house you find an exhibition of Blas Infante's personal belongings, and we can approach his work and thinking through explanatory panels.
Information taken from board.
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| Read more Wikipedia, Blas Infante |
"Sierra of Ronda. My people are there, at the end of a southern slope, nestled like a hawk on top of a protruding rock. Facing Africa's scarps, across the Straits. Perceiving in its sides the inland sea's drive; bellowing sweetly on calm days, roaring, and making it cloudy when its back is lashed. The landscape that surrounds it is a world of broken rocks and deep gorges, unfriendly waters, fertile cracks. My town, for its centre (so called by inhabitants) settles on the millenary nest of a high cliff of the mountain range. Like an immobile hawk, its plumage scattered by the wind. Facing with nostalgic eyes beyond the Arroyo Grande. So was the Tarifa's Strait called by Abuberk. The sharpened, rocky routes through which our brothers, the exiled crypto- Muslim emigrated......"
Information taken from board.
This tranquil corner is dedicated to the founder of modern Andalucía.
This lottery ticket commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Blas Infante 17 July 1885.
This artistic plaque reads: that abuse has no place here.
We headed upwards and towards the towns centre in search of the castle.
The white washed walls are decorated with colourful flower pots.
In front of us the village square "Plaza de España"
and high above, the castle.
Carlos III Fountain from the 18th century
The Parish church of San Sebastian is located in the square "Plaza de España".
This small chapel Ermita de San Sebastián dates back to the XVII Century. Within an image of Our Lady of the Rosario del Campo is venerated, which is also the Patron Saint of Casares.
One of the narrow village houses.
A dedication to the streets of Casares, "Calles tipicas",
Typical streets of Casares keep a multitude of stories and legends, in which the fictional and real facts intermingle.
As you walk along its cobbled streets and its immaculate whitewashed walls full of flowerpots, morning silence shrouds us, and it mixes with the sounds of the town's everyday life.
It is necessary to walk among these streets calmly in order to enjoy the essence of life, its incredible views and the perfume of its delicate flowers.
Information taken from a board.
We follow the road "Calle Villa" upwards.
This old village house was left to ruin.
The "Puerta Calle Villa" is the gate to the castle ground.
The Puerto "Calle Villa" dates back to the 13th century.
The Castle and the Arabic wall 13th century
This construction dating from the Arab-Moorish period, is origin of the
town of Casares. Built on the top of a rocky massif, the Castle has an unbeatable overview of all the areas approaches: from the Campo de Gibraltar, Ronda, and Algeciras. The construction had a clear defensive purpose. The wall, which follows a jagged and angular path, is adapted to the complex topography of the ground. It served to delimit this insurmountable enclosure. We can still see the ruin of the main doors: two arches placed in Villa Street and Arrabal Street.
In the course of time, the population spread adapting its design to the walls of the fortress. The result was a population with a distinctly Arab physiognomy. Casares place-name comes from the Arabic "Al-Qasr", meaning fortress, castle.
Information taken from board.
Important sights within the castle's ground.
1. El Alcázar 2. Recinto Bajo, 3. Centro Cultural Blas Infante, 4. Puerta del Arrabal, 5. Puerta de la Villa, 6. Cemeterio, 7. Tajo
We follow the road upwards.
This cobble stone path leads you to the "Recinto Bajo".
In the lower enclosure "Resinto Bajo" you find some picnic tables shaded by trees, which makes this area an ideal summer retreat.
Through the trees the impressive church tower which used to be a Minaret.
Blas Infate Culture Centre a former 16th century church of "La Encarnacion"
The entrance to the Blas Infante Cultural Centre
The Blas Infante Cultural Centre is a building rich in history. Its reformation follows that of the 16th Century church "La Encaración", which itself was built above an Arabic mosque complete with preserved minaret.
Situated within the grounds of Casares Castle, the Blas Infante Centre has magnificent views over the village of Casares, the surrounding hillside and mountains, the rock and straits of Gibraltar, and Africa.
After laying in ruin since the 1940s, restoration of the building was finally completed and reopened to the public in July 2010, coinciding with celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the birth of Andalucías founder, Blas Infante, and after whom the Cultural Centre was named.
By bringing this building back to life, Casares Town Hall has provided the village with a cultural centre to be proud of; for its location importance of its historic legacy spanning more than 8 centuries, as well as for the excellent facilities on offer, enabling the centre to play host to a wide range of cultural experiences, conferences, as well as musical and theatrical shows.
Information taken from board.
As we walked westwards from the Culture centre, we come to a viewpoint of the gorge "El Tajo".
It is also a good point to view the birds of prey idling by.
Here you find an information board explaining to you the countryside which lays in front of you. Also, it is at this point where rock climbing enthusiasts can practice their skill.
The sign points out that, if you make a descent via
the Iron Way "Via Ferrata", this could cause a fatal accident!
Amazing views!
Deep down the Casares's new cemetery.
A view west and towards the Sierra Crestellina.
Here they come, the guardians of the sky.
These giant birds, Griffon vulture (Buitre Leonardo), with a wingspan of 2,3-2,8 m and a weight up to 11 kg, glide effortlessly between the Sierra Bermejas to the east, El Hacho by Gaucín to the west and in the middle, the Sierra Crestellina. From the castle grounds of Casares you can see these birds close up as the pass by.
The Inhabitants of the Sky (Pobladores de Cielo)
The grounds of the Castle, where we are now is considered a strategic point to watch the many birds that fly in the sky of Casares.
The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), a small colonial raptor that feed on insects, small rodents and reptiles, nest in the church tower.
The Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is another inhabitant of the sky of Casares, specially on windy days. The vulture is a great flyer that uses the hot air to rise into the sky, circling, and then goes down soaring.
Other tenants of this castle are: the Bonelli's Eagle, the Red-billed Chough, the Common Swift, the House-Martin, and the Barn Swallow.
Information taken from board.
Above the view west and towards the Nature Park of Los Alcornocales,
below the view south and towards the Mediterranean coast.
A view east and
towards the new development of Casares, and beyond the crimson mountains of Sierra Bermeja and Pico Reales.
Remains of the castle walls
The Romans and Moors certainly new the best places and strategic points.
A fare reaching view to the west, and
below, the wood factory and the sports ground.
We can make out in the distance the Rock of Gibraltar.
We retraced our steppes back to the culture centre.
A peaceful location of the old cemetery.
From there we followed a path north to the castle ruins.
The Castle "El Alcázar" and the Arab wall date back to the 13th century
Sierra Crestellina in the background.
Ermita de la Vera Cruz
The little chapel, a square building with a white dome, was constructed in 1811. Part of the altar and the remains of the polychrome stucco painting are still intact.
A watchtower of the old castle "El Alcázar".
A view east and towards the Mediterranean see.
Birdseye view of the village of Casares.
In a secluded corner we found some benches.
An ideal place to soak in the surroundings and let your imagination wander.
A view across the Sierra Crestellina massif.
These old ruins always fascinate me!
A gateway back to the village "Puerta del Arrabal", and into "Calle Arrabal"
We make our way back through the village and back to present time.
In honor of "Blas Infante", Casares put on a festival on the 28th of February, which coincides with Andalusian day "Dia de Andalucía".
How to get to Casares
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