Visit Comares best things to see and do
Axarquia's balcony
Visit Comares, ‘the balcony of Axarquia’, a beautiful white village
In this article you will find the essential information to visit and see the best of Comares :
- A few words about Comares
- The origins of Comares
- Comares under Al-Andalus
- Visiting Comares, what to see ?
- Guided tour of Comares from Nerja
- What to do in Comares ?
- The village festivities
- Where is Comares?
- Booking accommodation
- Some useful links
- Experiences to discover in the province of Málaga
A few words about Comares
Comares is located in Axarquia in the province of Málaga. It is one of the most beautiful and authentic villages in the region.
It offers spectacular views of the sea, the Axarquia and the Málaga mountains. This is why it is known today as the “Axarquia balcony”.
This village is located on the famous Raisin Route, the Ruta de la Pasa.
Around Comares, five villages form part of the Ruta de la Pasa: Almachar, El Borge, Cutar, Moclinejo and Totalan.
The origins of Comares
Comares, like the other white villages on the Costa del Sol, was founded by one of the peoples who settled in this beautiful Andalusian land.
Although the surrounding villages have Phoenician, Roman, Visigoth or Arab origins, this one is one of the few of Phocaean origin.
The Phocaeans gave it the name Komarron, then the Arabs called it Qumaris or Hisn Comarix (high castle).
Comares during the Al-Andalus period
Omar Ben Hafsun, from a muladi family, made this village a stronghold by gathering an army of muladis (Christians converted to Islam), mozarabes (Christians who had pledged allegiance to the Emir of Cordoba) and Berbers. This army fought the Emir of Cordoba for almost half a century.
As the ultimate provocation to the power of Cordoba, Omar Ben Hafsun converted to Christianity. He then took the name Samuel. It was after his fall that the Emir of Cordoba transformed the Emirate of Cordoba into a caliphate, in order to unite political, military and religious power in his hands.
This village is perched on top of a mountain, which made it a stronghold throughout the period of Al-Andalus.
Many remains from this period are still visible, including a tower of the Tahona castle, or a very well preserved aljibe inside the cemetery.
What to see in Comares?
The visit to Comares is through the narrow streets of the village. You will see many typical houses, remains of the Al-Andalus period and beautiful views.
The cemetery is worth a visit to see the most beautiful views of the surroundings :
The roof of the Mudejar church is worth seeing if you have the opportunity to enter the church:
In the village, if you want to know what to look for and not miss anything, you will find “footprints” to follow on the ground.
And, with a bit of luck, especially in the morning, you will come across wild Iberian goats… in the village or in the surrounding area!
To visit Comares with a guide from the coast
If you want to discover this village: a local guide will pick you up on the coast between Torre del Mar, Torrox, and Nerja.
The local guide, Cipriano, offers a guided tour of Comares with a stop to discover the fabulous and hidden hamlet of La Zorilla.
In this link you will find all the details and prices of :
Comares, Axarquia Balcony Tour
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.
Here you can find all the guided tours in Axarquia from Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar.
What to do in Comares and the surrounding area
In the surroundings it is possible to find very nice activities:
- horse riding on the beach in Torremolinos
- diving in Nerja and Torrox
- guided tours (villages of Axarquia, Cordoba, Alhambra,…)
- via ferrata (Caminito del Rey,…)
- hiking (rio Chillar, El Saltillo with the hanging bridge,…)
- canyoning (in the rio Verde,…)
- astrotourism
- snorkeling
- ticket for the visit of Nerja Cave
Use the following link to access all the activities to do. This link provides you with all the details of each activity.
In the village it is possible to do a via Ferrata on the cliffs
In the following link you can find more information about the via Ferrata in Comares.
For hiking enthusiasts, there is an exceptional via ferrata starting from the village. It offers beautiful scenery and access to a historical monument 4 metres below ground :
You will find all the information in the link Mazmullar aljibe hike.
The village festivities
Comares is known for its pandas de verdiales, which are music and dance groups.
The verdiales are an ancestral music and dance (from La Axarquia and the Málaga mountains), very colourful, very rich, that I discovered last December during the Chacina festival in Colmenar and of which I am now a total aficionado!
Below you will find links to the main fiestas and ferias in Comares:
- San Hilario de Poitiers, 13th January
- Fiesta de Verdiales, end of July
- Comares Fair, end of August :
Where is Comares?
Book accommodation in Comares
Booking.com
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 what to see in Malaga :
Granada
Visit Granada, discover 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 Málaga
Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalusia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.
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