No title could be good enough! (I'll think of one later) (Casares)

Member Name: Fishbulb

Product:	Casares
Date:	30/08/03 (405 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing views & history, Old, untouched architecture, Set back from the Costa del Tourist

Disadvantages: Not really suitable for wheelchairs/pushchairs, people with difficulty walking, Set back from the Costa, its easy to miss if you don't know it's there, Some knowledge of Spanish is a must (buy a phrasebook!!!!)

(This was written when we arrived home from our holidays in the middle of July so any reference to the current UK weather/news etc will be from then, not now - contrary to popular belief, the sun doesn't always shine on Milton Keynes)

Having just spent an amazing two weeks in Southern Spain I was fortunate to have visited a few towns and cities, some modern some not. Casares falls well and truly into the not category which is why it struck me as a most excellent place to write about.


Casares is considered to be the Guard of the Coast (of the Costa Del Sol) it’s also known as the ‘Gateway to the Mountains’ if you’re holidaying in on of the more favoured British hotspots on the Costa Del Sol (CdS) for example Málaga; Torremolinos; Fuengirola; Marbella or Gibraltor you’ll probably find that hiring a car for the day is in order to reach this Moorish town. The driving distance from Malaga is just over an hour it’s about 45 minutes from Gibraltor and less still from all the other places I’ve mentioned. Heading from all of these places excluding Gibraltor take the coast road southbound past Estepona to Manilva and then head up away from the sea. (Full website details will follow at the end of this opinion for more comprehensive details)


This town dates back many centuries and it would be impossible to give each event full justice in a short opinion such as this so although some of the history will be covered in this opinion I shall focus predominantly on what it was actually like to visit giving the briefest of narration on the ancient and bygone eras. A lot of the pleasure in visiting was redeemed through learning about various events and I would not wish to spoil it for anyone.


When you drive into Casares, take your time and have a good look around you. It’s really worth making the journey longer to take-in some of the views. Driving up from the coast you travel thro
ugh the Manilva vineyards which are used to produce the local Manilva wine (which incidently is revolting, very dry and not very flavourful – however, should you wish to try the local wine you will spot a shop on the left-hand side of the road which sells predominately local fruit and vegetables and this wine). Manilva itself was once considered to be part of Casares but became a town in its own right in 1795.


It’s worth stopping in the village of Manilva to look at the view. You can see right down into the valley (where they’re currently building a golf course) as well as the vineyards, the mountains and the sea.

The Baňos de la Hediona are also en route, they are sulphurous and alkaline-magnetic waters that Julius Caesar bathed in to get over a skin disease. It was Caesar, who after bathing here ordered the building of the baths. This building is still here today. We did not visit these as we could not find them, so I’d advise you get a good quality map/guide book if you want to find them as we saw no signs.


We saw the most wonderful sight of a herd of goats grazing on a mountainside next to the road on our way. They were bouncing in-between the bushes and grazing like they were on flat ground. I was most impressed with their dexterity in negotiating the landscape. Interestingly enough, their farmer/guide was having difficulty in just standing still on the steep slopes. I have it on good information that these particular goats are principally kept for their milk for producing good quality Spanish cheese such as Manchego.


Now, you can actually drive into Casares, but I’d recommend leaving your car in the car-park off of the main road when you reach the village. Just standing here looking out into the distance is worth the trip on its own.


For a relatively small town it is certainly steeped in political and regal history. In 1361 Kin Don Pedro I and the det
hroned monarch Mahomet V of Granada met there. It was in Casares that the Pact of Casares was signed to instate a campaign to fight for the throne of Granada and restore it to its rightful heir. Later still (1570) it was designated the meeting place of the Duke of Arcos and the Arab leaders so they could negotiate a settlement after the Moorish revolts. This is the period in its past where the modern-day Casares takes most of its influence.


As for any day trip in Spain I would advise that you take along a large bottle of chilled mineral water and for experiencing Casares a pair of comfortable shoes. I opted for the British tradition of flip-flops and found it hard-going walking through the streets.


From here on in it’s hard work. There is a map of the village with some local information on in the carpark here, but basically you peer over the edge of the car-park and what you see is the village. It’s like looking at one of those Impossipuzzles™. It’s a traditional Spanish ‘White Village’ in that all of the houses are white. The roofs are terracotta (naturally) and it truly is a sight that I cannot explain. From above the village looking down you see roofs going in all directions on all levels; Built on top of each other. This is high-density housing at its most ancient. As the paths and roads through the town are so narrow you cannot see any breaks inbetween the buildings and it is surreally captivating.


To get into the centre of the town basically you just keep walking downhill. There are steps and lots of the roads as well as being cobbled are made from the locally mined rock. The locally mined rock is very common on the CdS and you will know it immediately when you see it as it’s a blueish-grey colour with a terracotta band around it. It is very beautiful, but also quite slippery (hence the need for trainers). Some of the roads are close to a 60degree incline if not mo
re, so this isn’t a place for the weak-willed.


Once you’ve walked into the centre there’s a small plaza where you can sit and watch the world go by, but the real beauty is found by walking up again, this time in the other direction. This leads to the ruins of the fort. They match a description of an Arab castle from the 13th century. The view from the fort on the crest of the hill is the best view of the day. It has to be seen to be believed. A Spanish guy took his boxer dog with him on his visit when we were there and the view was that amazing that the dog (on it’s own accord with no prompting) stood up on his hind legs and peered over the wall for a few moments too.


The old fort is in ruins now and some of the doors have been bricked up, others have metal gates up which allow you a view inside. It appears to be home to numerous Perrigrin Falcons now. The vultures that are local tend to live further into the privacy of the actual mountain. The fort is the pinnacle of the town and is 420m above sea level. Immediately behind it is a most excellent restaurant selling great, fresh food and wonderful drinks. Service was brilliant too. This is the place in Casares to have lunch in my opinion, but watch out for the giant ants. I’m not joking. We sat on a big wooden table with a tree dividing the seat between myself and Mr Fish and the ants climbing up the tree were probably not far off an inch in length. We gave similar ants on a rock behind us breadcrumbs and a bit of sweetcorn for a laugh and they managed to each pick up a lump of sweetcorn with no problems. Creepy.

There is a small museum in Casares where for €1 you can learn a little more about the towns history and see a few artefacts. It’s very interesting and basically just one big room, won’t take you long to get around and is worth the €1, knowing that the money will go to the upkeep of this historic town.
(At time of writing €1 is approx 0.73GBP)


My favourite piece of history about the town I’ve saved for last it that it was (allegedly) the only town not to be taken by the French in the early 19th century. Probably a lot of that is owed to the fact of where it’s built, impossibly on the side of a mountain with a vantage point to Africa on a clear day. But legend has it that when the French tried to attack the village the local women gathered in the main plaza and threw bits of rock at them and fought them off. This fable/legend is still celebrated today in the August Fair which is the biggest of the present day festivals/ It takes place the first weekend of August (Thursday to Sunday). Other fairs include the La Romeria de la Patrona, La Virgen del Rosario on the last Saturday of May celebrating the pilgrimage of the Virgin of the Roasary and the celebration of her birth on the fist Sunday in September. There is a harvest festival too called the Santo Cristo Fair in mid-September to celebrate the end of summer and the harvesting. We were in Casares immediately prior to a big medieval weekend; the preparations were elaborate with flags and stalls everywhere. Although we didn’t go, we saw the fireworks from miles away so it was obviously well-planned and enjoyed.


I’m amazed that the town seems virtually untouched after hundreds of years and there are certainly a fair few tourists that visit. You can drive through the town if you want, but you will almost certainly miss out on many beautiful things. Plus the streets are so narrow if anyone is in them (this is very likely) then it’s actually quicker to walk. I personally wouldn’t recommend this town as a place to visit if you are in a wheelchair or have difficulty walking. With a pushchair it is negotiable, but be prepared for a lot of hard work. Locals walk around or whiz around on scooters so be careful as they can get up a bit of speed
and seem reluctant to move/stop if you’re in their way.


So, if you ever visit the CdS and fancy visiting a traditional town then I cannot recommend Casares any higher. If you’re after ‘I’ve been to the Costa del Sol’ T-shirts; ‘Themed pubs’ or ‘McDonalds’ then you’ll be very disappointed if you came here. If however, you’re after a window into the past and the traditions of a beautiful culture then I hope you do visit.

You can get further information on Casares at www.casaresnatural.com or by telephoning (0034) 952 89 41 26.

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