| Castellar de la Frontera consists of two villages - the old and the new. The new part is located at the foot of the hill and has its own places of interest. The Plaza Andalucia is at the heart of the village and has play areas, gardens and a monument marking the 25th anniversary of the village. |
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| From the old part, take the A369, signposted for the castle. You will be driving through the Arconales Park, an area of outstanding beauty and rich in wildlife and fauna. The first turn off the main road leads to the former Convent of la Almoraima, now a hotel. The convent was founded in 1603 and is dedicated to Our Lady of The Kings. The wonderful and original tower remains. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens. |
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| From the convent, follow the A369 to the turn off for the castle. The approach road is very narrow and winding so take care. On your right you will see the large artificial lake, created to feed fresh water to the villages on the Campo de Gibraltar. |
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see our video of
Castellar de la Frontera
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| The
castle
looms
in the
distance
on the
peak
of the
hill.
The
old
village
is
located
within
the
walls
of a
13th
century
Moorish
castle
and is
totally
unique.
The
place
is
currently
occupied
by
many
squatting
hippies.
The
road
to the
castle
can
sometimes
be
lined
with
their
vans
and
trailers,
in
which
some
of them live.
The
castle
itself
has
many
features
that
remain
original,
although
plans
to
restore
it
have
been
shelved
because
of the
problem
with
the
inhabitants.
The
castle
also
has a
very
informative
information
centre,
located
at the
top of
the
hill
where
you
will
park
your
vehicle. |
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As you
walk
through
the
main
arch
to the
castle
you
are
confronted
with a
maze
of
tiny
alleys
and
streets,
lined
with
white
painted
houses,
decorated
with
plants
and
local
ceramics.
Orange
blossom
and
jasmine
fills
the
air
with
an
overpowering
scent.
The
13th
century
castle
is of
irregular
shape
and
the
Royal
Palace is located
over
the
main
entrance. |
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The
views
over
the
valley
from
the
battlements
is
stunning
and on
a
clear
day
Gibraltar
and
Africa
are
clearly
visible.
There
are
very
few
tourists
that
actually
make
it to
Castellar
castle
and as
a
result
it is
very
easy
to get
to and
easy
to
walk
round.
Inside
the
castle,
among
the
tiny
dwellings
is a hotel consisting
of
Casa
Rurals
(tiny
houses
used
as
hotel
rooms),
several
bars
and a
few
shops
selling
local
crafts.
On a
quiet
day
you
will
almost
certainly
see
vultures
and
eagles
flying
overhead.
From
here
its
easy
to
explore
the
village
of Jimena or
head
towards Algeciras.
See our short video of Castellar de la Frontera here |
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Local
cuisine
Most
local
dishes
in
Castellar
are
based
on
game,
especially
venison,
rabbit
and
partridge.
Rabbit
with
tomato
is a
particular
speciality,
as is
goat
stew.
Fiestas
The
most
important
day of
the
year
is the
first
Sunday
in May
which
is
Castellar's
Holy
Day.
Celebrations
include
parades,
folk
dances
and
sports
competitions.
6th
August
is the
Castle
Eve
when
flamenco
is
popular
to
celebrate
San
Salvador.
In the
middle
of
February
is the
local
carnival
with
splendid
and
impressive
costumes
and
parades. |
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