What to see in Alcaucin in Spain – the best things to do
A legendary village
Visit Alcaucin, a white village at the foot of the Maroma
In this article you will find the essential information for visiting Alcaucin :
- A few words about Alcaucin
- The origins
- What to see in Alcaucin
- What to do in Alcaucin
- Activities
- Guided tours
- Ferias and fiestas
- Where is Alcaucin?
- Book an accommodation
- Some useful links
- Experiences to discover in the province of Málag
A few words about Alcaucin
Alcaucin is located in Axarquia in the province of Málaga. This white village has preserved all its authenticity.
It is located at the foot of the Sierra de Almijara, Tejeda y Alhama, and is the starting point for numerous hikes. It is the starting point for numerous hikes and is surrounded by a magnificent environment and the Alcazar Natural Park.
This village also marks the border (below) between the province of Granada and the province of Malaga.
The origins
The village was founded during the Arab domination. Its name comes from the Arabic: al-qawsayn.
Alcaucin originally means “the bows”.
If we go back to even earlier times
The human presence in Alcaucin goes back to prehistoric times, and even to the origins of humanity.
The most important discovery is a 35,000-year-old Neanderthal jawbone in the Boquete de Zafarraya cave.
This cave is accessible by hiking from the Boquete de Zafarraya!
If you want to find older traces of mankind, you have to go a few kilometres away to visit the caves of Nerja.
What to see in Alcaucin?
La fuente de los 5 caños
This is a fountain in the centre of the village, and the local story goes that whoever drinks from the middle fountain (there are 5) will find love and get married within the year!
This is one of the very few fountains in the province that offers water 365 days a year!
The Alcazar Natural Park
This natural park is located above the village. It is so named because an Arab castle was once built here.
It is a place of extraordinary nature, where it is common to come across Iberian goats, ibex.
The Boquete de Zafarraya
This is another extraordinary place to see.
Here is a short video of the old royal road between Malaga and Granada, from the Nasrid kingdom.
In the background of the video, you can see the boquete of Zafarraya which marks the border with the province of Granada.
The ruins of the castle of Zalia
The castle was originally an Arab fortress with Phoenician foundations. This makes it one of the oldest castles in the world. It has a peculiarity and an enigma: it is the only building in the world of Phoenician origin (along with another one in Turkey) that was not built on the sea.
From 1485, it was occupied by the Christians following the reconquest and served as an episcopal prison before being abandoned.
The legends of Zalia Castle
As with other villages and castles in the region, this one is surrounded by many legends. Here are the two main ones:
One of the legends of Zalia Castle relates that the Greek poet Homer (8th century BC) stayed in this castle during his trip to Andalucia. He is said to have written some of Odysseus’ exploits that took place here!
The other legend says that an Arab queen, Zalia, lived in this castle and went out to the river every day to bathe. It is said that several inhabitants were imprisoned in the castle after committing the crime of watching her bathing in the river. The castle has been named after her ever since.
The olive fields around Alcaucin
There are many olive fields in the municipality of Alcaucin.
It is not uncommon in January to see the farmers harvesting the olives.
With the famous net
But also with a handy little tool to recover the olives that have fallen out of the nets.
What to do in Alcaucin
Activities
For nature lovers, Alcaucin offers many beautiful walks at the foot of the Maroma.
In the surrounding area, you can find some very nice activities:
- horse riding, on the beach or in the mountains
- diving in Nerja and Torrox
- hiking in Nerja with a guide
- via ferrata (Caminito del Rey,…)
- hiking (El Saltillo with the hanging bridge,…)
- canyoning (in the rio Verde,…)
- astrotourism
- snorkeling
- visit of caves
Use the following link to access all the activities to do. during your holidays. This link provides you with all the details of each activity.
Guided tours
A very good local guide, Cipriano, offers thematic and seasonal guided tours of Alcaucin and its surroundings.
The route of the white Almohad villages (often called Mudejar)
This Tour takes in 5 white villages of La Axarquía.
The guide starts the tour from Torre del Mar, Torrox, Nerja.
This tour is offered all year round through the most authentic villages of the area. Here is the link for details and booking: The Almohad White Villages Tour from Nerja.
The guided tours are always done in small groups (2 to 8 people max.) to discover the authentic Axarquia.
In the following link you will find all the details and prices of the tours he offers.
The themes of the tours are: Frigiliana Tour, the Wine Route, the Raisin Route, the Olive Oil tour, ….
Here you can find all the guided tours in Axarquia from Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar.
Ferias and fiestas
There are many ferias and fiestas in the village. The main ones are listed below.
- Romería de San Sebastián, January
- Feria Alcaucin (with a flamenco festival),in August
- Romería de San Isidro, May 15
- Fiesta de Los Cortijillos, end of May
- Wheat threshing festival, in July
- Feria de la Virgen del Rosario, in October
- Fiesta de la Castaña , in November 2023 :
- Fiesta del agua, early August
Where is Alcaucin?
Book accommodation
Please enter the desired dates to check availability.
I would like to mention a guesthouse that is absolutely beautiful. It is the house of Guy and Elke.
Everything is decorated with great taste and authenticity, and the pool is beautiful. Here is the link if you want to see pictures and find out more about booking: Guest house – Casa Utopia.
Some useful links (car hire, ideas for visits)
Easy and economical bookings
If you are in Andalucia as part of a tour with several major cities to visit, here are some links that may be of interest:
Seville
Seville, the capital of Andalucia, is a city full of treasures to discover and monuments to visit.
Here you will find everything you can see in Seville in 3 days. And for those who will stay longer you will also find information on secret Seville and the Santa Cruz and Triana districts.
Cadiz
Visit Cadiz, a city with an incredible past and great beauty, on the Costa del la Luz.
Malaga
When you reach the Costa del Sol you will find in this link all must-sees in Malaga :
Granada
Discover what to see in Granada, and visit the Albaicin and Sacromonte districts:
Cordoba
And of course, visit Cordoba, the caliphate city, and the Juderia district
Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga
Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalusia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.
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