Peace in the heart of Malaga
"The route we traveled was known in its time as the English Way" , say some old tiles in the viewpoint overlooking Gaucín in which we have inevitably just stopped. Because, after all, doing a route by car through the Bajo Genal that means: dedicating the time it deserves to each thing. And these views deserve it.
That is why it does not surprise us that, as the text continues to capture, the path, which passed from Gibraltar to Ronda, was often visited by foreigners who had come to the south determined to get lost in the lands of the former Kingdom of Granada. "These travelers began their journey with a mixture of oscillating morbid fear between the terror of the bandit and the desire to run into him” he concludes.
Gaucin, unforgettable
We then look around us, and yes: removing some signs of modernity, such as lampposts and paved roads, we could imagine the lush mountains on this side of the world as the ideal hiding place for those bandits that stalked the area. What times...
Today there is no trace of those criminals, and instead those that do flying over our heads are several booted eagles which, according to another information panel, are one of the most common native birds in these parts. In a nutshell: The most explosive nature of the entrails of Malaga surrounds us.
We decided that it is time to approach that small town of white houses that has been tempting us for a long time. Gaucín is one of the eight towns that make up the southern half of the Genal Valley, the same one that extends along almost 500 square kilometers sheltered by the natural parks of Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra de Grazalema and Los Alcornocales. **
a few 30 kilometers from the Malaga coastline , but already immersed in a dense landscape of chestnut and almond trees that turns coppery in autumn, our goal stands on a rock ruled by a castle: that of the Eagle.
A narrow street in Gaucín
We reached the highest area after crossing twisted alleys like Arrabalete, the oldest, which retains its Moorish name. Once upstairs, enter colorful pots and curious artistic figures that decorate some facades, we come across Pepa, neighbor of all the vine a, which tells us how little Gaucín today has to do with the one they keep in their memories: continues living in the same house in which she was born at the foot of the castle , a road so narrow that it can only be accessed on foot and after going through several flights of stairs and slopes. The peace that is breathed there she, she assures her as she sits on a catwalk chair by the door of her home, she is her best companion.
We climb a kind of steps conquered by bushes until the castle, built in roman times , and we contemplate the enormity of the Malaga landscape at our feet: it was there that the Guzmán el Bueno died on September 17, 1309. fighting Muslims.
Those who like to drive -and we love it- enjoy touring the winding roads of Bajo Genal in which the curves alternate from left to right as in a soft dance that never stops.
Benarraba
On the other side of the window, the forest landscape it is occasionally altered by uniquely shaped karst peaks. Also for tiny towns that appear, like specks of white dust , embedded in the immensity of nature. Always, yes, with some steeple rising to heaven in the midst of their hamlets.
As you go inside, the next town to appear is Benarrabá . In this small town the Andalusian legacy still remains in the form of wells, fountains and ditches , although there is another attraction that leads many lovers of adventure sports to stop there: in a nearby canyon almost 100 meters deep climbers find their own paradise.
back to town, we walked through the streets Saucal, Baja or Estación to contemplate their stylish 18th century buildings with huge windows and large wrought iron balustrades. In the Town Hall Square attention goes to the curious Lola House : what stands out the most here are the details represented on its façade, including a Lauburu, symbol of Celtic tradition.
we ran into Algatocín right at an intersection of two roads. This town, raised on the back of the mountain range that separates the Genal and Guadiaro rivers, has just 800 inhabitants and is fully adapted to the steep slope of the terrain. We fall in love with its Arabic layout, which is largely preserved, and **the views of the valley from the Mirador del General. **
Algatocín, the most traditional Andalusian postcard
Before continuing towards Jubrique, a stop at the Pineapple Bakery, hidden in a small courtyard with no exit, is crucial: a brief chat with Juan Manuel, who broke the Guinness record for making some of the most eccentric breads in the world, as the largest or most expensive - made of rye, malt, edible gold and silver - it is most curious. in your creations everything is ecological, everything is natural and everything is healthy.
And now we come to Jubrique : after a good handful of curves that cross a dense forest, but we arrived. Y welcomes us with a stately Plaza de Andalucía with an even more stately church, that of San Francisco de Asís , raised between** the 16th and 17th centuries** on an old mosque.
Here, as in all the small towns of inland Malaga, you have to walk to discover its beauty. So we go through slopes, arches and gate s, we turn corners that take us to small streets and we find ourselves, without expecting it, with flirty squares overflowing with pots and flowers: It is clear that we are in Andalusia.
Jubrique
Jubrique's aguardiente-producing past is revealed to us at visit the Museum of Popular Arts and Aguardiente , where they inform us that this small town that barely reaches 550 inhabitants It came to count, in the eighteenth century, with up to 70 factories of this liquor. Eah.
Very close to Jubrique, one of the most beautiful and surprising towns in Bajo Genal awaits us: Genalguacil can be easily reached by walking along the Matagallar hiking trail -important to take good boots with you, don't forget it-, either by bike or by car undoing part of the way and taking an alternative variant. **In 30 minutes we are there. **
After having a drink that gives us energy in the terrace of the Cabry bar -its views of the valley are one of the best in the town-, It will be necessary to start the incursion into the labyrinth of streets and slopes that make up Genalguacil conscientiously: it is not worth having a plan. It is not worth pulling the map. It's not even worth asking the neighbors: here the only thing worth is letting go and, by the way, have a great time.
Because it will happen, it is inevitable. And not only because every corner, every corner, every nook and cranny of this small town in Malaga seems to have been carefully studied to make it look like a postcard; No. neither because bougainvillea shine here like nowhere else in the world ; nor because the white of their houses shines so much that we have to wear sunglasses.
It is that, in addition, An art biennial has been held in the town since 1994 in which artists from all over the world are invited to Genalguacil to be inspired, create, and finally leave his work exposed in the town forever . The result? We are in an authentic open-air museum and go through it in search of its more than 200 works It is a fun challenge. Pure plastic poetry.
But it's time to return to the route, which leads us to go back patiently to the A-369 to resume the road to Benalauría, another of those towns of whitewashed facades where everything is peace and tranquility.
The origin of its configuration comes from the** Berber colonization, in the 8th century.** Its name is also from then: from the descendants of Banu-I-Hawariya. We delve into its heart like someone admiring a real treasure: paying special attention to details, feeling the care with which its neighbors take care that the whole town looks the way it deserves.
Does everyone have a gardening course in Genalguacil...?
In its Town Hall Square a handful of awnings are responsible for keeping in the shade the one that has spent a lifetime being the meeting point of the neighbors: when the afternoon falls and the temperatures allow it, its benches are filled with older people wanting to chat. and although Benalauría has suffered in different stages this depopulation so widespread in the rural world, you still see a small group of children playing with the ball between laughter and screams. Thus, summer evenings are more bearable.
Right next to the church, one last stop: 28 Square Meters, the beautiful project of a group of friends that boasts of being the artisanal winery -which is also a wine office- smallest in the entire province of Malaga . Yes: that is our site. In its 28 square meters are stacked the barrels in which its first production came to life in 2019: 1,200 bottles of dry Moscatel. The tasting, accompanied by a good talk, is a must, of course.
We know that the Bajo Genal route is nearing its end when we reach Benaladid , which has a very curious 17th century castle with a peculiarity: inside it is the village cemetery.
Visiting it is as easy as opening its huge lock and entering it, although afterwards you will have to continue exploring the town. going down any of its steep streets, be it Zumaque or Almendro , which does not lack a single detail to earn the adjective charming: narrow, pedestrian and overflowing with flowers , lead us to the place where the Parish Church of San Isidoro, the town hall, and a small rural hotel, Finca Almejí , which occupies an old flour mill.
Coquettish streets in Benalauría.
After a last trip by car, now the last stop: Atajate, the town with the fewest inhabitants in the province of Malaga , makes us die of love from the very moment we put one foot in its -rare- streets. The reason? Because striking up a conversation with any of its -scarce- 100 inhabitants is as simple as greeting them cordially; because the most authentic prints are repeated at each step - a clothesline with four colored pegs; the geraniums hanging from the pots on the balconies, the old Fountain-Laundry at the entrance of the town- and because it is simply special.
Loitering around Atajate means come across the house of “María la Bizca”, “Rosario la de Pepa” or “Vicenta la del Cartero”: all the neighbors have a ceramic ornament with their first name on the door.
It also means meeting an old oil factory abandoned whose green gate invites you to take photos from all possible frames, or run into a family of cats sleeping peacefully in the sun on any street. Because in Atajate there is no traffic noise, nor the typical hustle and bustle of any town. **Atajate is peace made a town. **
Of course, things change a lot every November, when its famous Fiesta del Mosto is celebrated , which attracts thousands of people from all over the region. Meanwhile, perhaps the liveliest place is Audalázar, an unexpected restaurant which, curiously, found its place in this Malaga town: the bet of two brothers for raising this temple to the roots gastronomy , but also to that of more innovative touches , turned out to be a success.
cut yourself off
We could not think of a better finish to the experience: here we have just confirmed our love for the rural world. The one who lives in the General Bass . Or, what is the same: **the one who lives in the heart of Malaga. **