|
Introduction to Castellar de la Frontera |
Situated between the Guadarranque and Hozgarganta rivers, right in the centre of the Region of Gibraltar. A surface area of 179 square kms. Location: interior area of the Los Alcornocales Natural Park. Borders with Alcalá de los Gazules, San Roque, Jimena and Los Barrios. At 15 Kms from Gibraltar and Algeciras, 30 from Estepona, located on the Ruta del Toro (Bull Route), the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos (White Villages Route), and the Ruta de la Serranía de Ronda (Ronda Mountain Range Rourte). It is the “lungs of the region”. Average temperature: 18º C. Its origins date back to the Bronze Age, but it achieved its true identity at the beginning of the 13th Century with the establishment of the Nazari Kingdom of Granada. Population of 2942 inhabitants. Its municipal territory is characterised by the historical reputation of its 13th Century Castle-Fortifications, its culture and nature, in addition to the contributions of the new villages, la Almoraima and Estación de Castellar. There are three urban nuclei, all of which are slightly different:
1.El Viejo Castellar (Old Castellar): located on top of a mountain from where one can make out the entire Algeciras Bay area, the Rock of Gibraltar, the coast of Africa and the other villages which surround it. This nucleus includes a perfectly conserved medieval fort which hosts a village within its walls. It is one of the few examples of inhabited medieval fortifications which has been conserved.
The village’s interior area is a beauty in itself. Walking along its narrow, steep streets, of evident Islamic origin, is like taking a step back in time. The distribution and structure of its houses remind us of existing Muslim urban nuclei.
Nowadays, this village-fortification is a huge attraction for tourists and visitors who wish to combine culture and nature. Its excellent conservation allows us experience and understand what these defence structures were like back in the Middle Ages.
2.El Nuevo Castellar (New Castellar): is found at 8 kms from the old settlement, on the Ronda road. Constructed at the end of the sixties as part of the settlement plan undertaken by IRYDA, its inhabitants are mainly families who lived in Viejo Castellar, and saw better living conditions in this area, resulting in a massive exodus from the old village in 1971.
In contrast with the older village found within the castle walls “new” Castellar is a fully modern village, with wide streets and squares. The effort of its inhabitants to keep and conserve the landscaped areas ensure large, beautiful green areas which can be admired by all its visitors.
3. La Barriada de Almoraima (La Almoraida Quarter): La Barriada Almoraima can be found very close to Nuevo Castellar, where we find the company of the same name, nowadays managed by the Ministry for the Environment, in addition to the train station.
