Spain: Isolated mountain town castle and church

Authors experiences History News Portal Spain Travel

During our winter retirement in Spain, we embarked on a train journey to the farthest point of the “free” train line outside of Málaga. The scenic ride took us through farms with lemon orchards and pyramid-shaped mountains, culminating in the charming, less touristy town of Álora. There, we explored a 10th-century castle and a grand, historic church from the same period.

The town nestles against the side of a 700-meter (2,400-foot) high mountain, offering breathtaking views of a fertile valley below. From the ancient castles perched atop the steep hill, one can marvel at the expansive farming area. Before the Romans, the region was inhabited by the Phoenicians and later by the Moors, before the advent of Christianity.

Navigating the charming, white-washed town can be quite a challenge due to its narrow, steep streets with 30-degree slopes and numerous winding paths reminiscent of cow trails. The recent extension of the C2 train line from Málaga is revitalizing this farming area, which is about 1.5 hours from our apartment at the opposite end of the C1 train line.

Once you arrive at the end of the train line, you then take a small bus (0.55 Euros) up into the central part of the town which is quite a bit further up the mountain, through numerous twists and turns with daunting straight down roadside views. The central square (actually a triangle) has lots of restaurants and tourist bureau to help plan your path.

Museum

A short downhill walk takes you to a museum in a beautiful old brick vaulted ceiling building next to a fabulous old church, which is part of your ticket. There are interesting artifacts and a 10 minute video on life in the town as it was in1964 (Its this youTube video)

Pre-historic cave drawings from an area nearby were on display.

Church

The “Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation” is a very large structure from the 1500’s, with huge columns supporting grand arches with a wooden vaulted ceiling. The many religious artifacts and fresco art are a joy to behold. The “horizonal” depiction of Christ was unusual.

Castles

The castles are up quite a steep and narrow street, past some yipping dogs in the street. The “Arab” castle is the older one dating from the 10th century and another has a nice rooftop garden area at the top after passing through a cave like dome that has been protected now with concrete.

Panoramic view of the valley from the castles.

Valley panorama, Alora, Malaga, Costa del Sol, Spain; Castle Church; iPhone

Street views

Lots of fascinating things as you enjoy the walk through the winding streets.

Train / Bus Notes

We have fully embraced public transit while in Spain. Spain is really encouraging people to give up their cars by offering low cost or free public transport. While we are in Spain using the 90 day tourist visa, we ride the C1 train line from Fuengirola to Malaga for free after purchasing a 10 Euro pass, which includes a stop at the Airport. It also includes the C2 train line which goes inland from Malaga to Alora. The C2 line is newer and we did find that signage at the Victoria Station stop virtually non existent. Also the schedule which changed in September 2024 had not been updated by Google yet. You simply get off the train from Fuengirola at the Victoria station, and then wait for the Alora train on the opposite track 🙂 Oddly, there is no signage on the Alora train, and the electronic sign board was not working the day we went to Alora, so it was only by speaking with the Security person (in Spanish) that we affirmed it was the train to Alora. The other C1 train uses the same track and has Fuengirola signage on it. Once in Alora, the “green” bus card can be used for the mini bus to the central town part. The bus seems to be synchronized nicely with the hourly train departures on the hour.

Conclusion

The town of Alora is a great day trip for anyone staying in the greater Malaga area. Friendly people, although not much English spoken.

I may return to see the famous water power dam, known as the “worlds most dangerous trail” in the past. Caminito del Ray. https://maps.app.goo.gl/S5TviEB2RtaYh5ZZ9

Plus maybe a tour of the the red cave drawings!


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2 thoughts on “Spain: Isolated mountain town castle and church

  1. Thank you for this timely post…I will be taking my first solo trip to Spain, spending a few days in Malaga and a couple of weeks in Marbella in early May.

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