GUALCHOS CASTELL

Learn something about the region;

Gualchos Castell de Ferro
Our Town is named Gualchos Castell the Ferro, one of the attractions is the south side where the sea in quiet and gentle warm breezes add a special touch to this part of the Mediterranean coast.

Gualchos extends from the foot of the Sierra de Lújar or "Contraviesa" to the beautiful Costa Tropical, subtropical and temperate climate, without massificated beaches and the tranquility of their environment. Among the beaches, the cove of La Rijana, ideal for scuba diving. Another of its attractions is the castle of Castell de Ferro. The town has experienced economic prosperity through the development of subtropical greenhouse agriculture and tourism.

"La Mina" was the village laundry place

Gualchos church on the bottom

On of Gualchos street. Gualchos is the part of the town located on the Sierra of Luja

Here you may see some of typical garden flowers

From this street in Gualchos we may see Castell de ferro, the lowest part of the village.

History
Remains have been found to suggest human presence since the time of the Phoenicians. However, the current population is of arab ascendance, when both towns were two small villages. Gained some importance during this time thanks to the efficient operation of agriculture. In the Christian era suffered from the rebellion of the Moors, its repression and expulsion. Later would be repopulated with Christians from other regions, especially Catalonia, which explains the origin of the name of Castell de Ferro.

Castell de Ferro offers one of the more rugged terrain of the province, the coast has a majestic cliffs, quite unknown, which served as a bulwark against pirates, Berbers and Christians, according to the rule to play at all times. Chapters of the military history of the province have been written here, especially the importance of defense of the fortress of Castell de Ferro, prior even to the people who emerged under his cloak. Dukes, Moorish corsairs and admired these views have also brought the propagators of the danger that was approaching from the sea.

On the beach govern it is the Tower of Doom, the array or the stripe, as has been called throughout history. It was built in the sixteenth century in order to monitor the national port was in the cove of La Rijanilla and to serve as a bridge between the tower or ZAMBULLON Calahonda and Castell strength Ferro. It is situated on a rocky spur that juts into the sea, east of the beach and left the Rijana Zacatín Gorge.

Our Town is located at the lower edge of Sierra of Lujar which protects from Sierra Nevada inmediately later and were the Alpujarras are located. Our customs and traditions also belong to those from Alpujarras. Let us show you a map of the region and tell you something of the Alpujarras.

Map of the Region- The Alpujarras and their Coast Line - From Castell de Ferro you may enjoy the Mediterranean, Contraviesa and Alpujarras

The Alpujarras

The region of mountain villages known as Las Alpujarras clings to the southern flanks of the Sierra Nevada, cloven by deep, sheltered valleys and gorges which run down towards the Mediterranean. The Alpujarra, as it is popularly known, in the singular, is famous throughout Spain because of its unique mini-ecology. Its terraced farmlands are constantly watered by the melting snow from above, constituting a high-altitude oasis of greenery which stands in dramatic contrast to the arid foothills below. This is ideal hiking terrain for adventurous travellers, provided you take along a tent and well-padded sleeping bags - the average altitude is 4,000 feet above sea level.

The cultural interest of the region lies in its fifty-odd villages, which were the last stronghold of the Spanish Muslims, or Moors. Soon after the Castillians took Granada in 1492, all the city´s Moors were forced to convert to Christianity. Those who refused took to the hills, settling in this remote, inaccessible area. Constant pressure from the Christians led to a bloody uprising, the Morisco Rebellion of 1568, which was ruthlessly crushed out, with the public execution of the leader, Ben Humeya, in the main square of Granada. Soon followed a royal decree expelling from the Kingdom of Granada all people of Arab descent, since the "new Christians", as the converts were called, were all suspected of being ¨crypto-Muslims¨ in secret...

The villages of the Alpujarra were resettled with some 12,000 Christian families brought by King Philip II from Galicia and Asturias in north-western Spain. However, these unique hamlets have retained their traditional Berber architecture - terraced clusters of grey-white box-shaped houses with flat clay roofs - which is still common in the Rif and Atlas mountains of Morocco. Perhaps the most picturesque villages are the famous trio which cling, one close above the other, to the slopes of the Poqueira Valley, where red peppers and tomatoes are still set out to dry on the flat clay roofs, among the tall round chimney pots. Pampaneira, at the bottom, bustles with crafts shops and restaurants, as does Bubión, half way up the slope, with its massive square church tower standing on a plaza of rough paving stones. But to savour the authentic Alpujarra, go to Capileira at the top of the valley - the name is an Arabic derivation of the Latin word for head or top - and walk down from the road into the lower streets of the village, where the rocky streets, overhanging passageways and sagging, stone houses have still not been remodelled and prettified for contemporary living...

If you stray from the beaten path, you will be sure to catch sight of the region´s abundant wild life, such as the Cabra Hispanica, a mountain goat which roams the mountains in herds and is often seen standing on pinnacles, silhouetted against the sky. But as soon as it flairs the scent of man it will bound up the steepest slopes with amazing speed... The Alpujarra is also famous for its excellent birdwatching - the colourful Hoopoe with its stark, haunting cry, is a common sight. The capital of the region is Órgiva, on the lowlands, and the village of Trevélez - famous throughout Spain for its superb mountain hams, or jamón serrano - is, at over 4,840 feet above sea level, the highest village in Europe, overhanging a fast-flowing river and plunging mountain valley.

Costa Tropical
Being less well known than its more popular neighbour, the Costa del Sol, is no disadvantage for Granada's coastline with its subtropical climate. Its beach resorts still retain a Spanish character and it boasts some spectacular cliffs, interspersed with secluded coves and sandy beaches, particularly in the protected coastal zone of Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo Natural Area, which it shares with Malaga province.

Almuñécar is the resort with the most attractive beaches. The rocky outcrops that divide the beaches have been designated a protected area, the Peñónes de San Cristóbal Natural Monument. Near Almuñécar is La Herradura, a popular watersports resort set in a secluded bay. The coastal town enjoying the most spectacular location is Salobreña, with a Moorish castle and the town's whitewashed houses atop an imposing pinnacle protruding above sugar cane plantations and overlooking the sea. Next would be Torrenueva, Calahonda and Castell de Ferro.

Castell de Ferro

Castell de Ferro is a coastal village in the province of Granada on the Tropical Coast that invites visitors to a tranquil and pleasant, in a family atmosphere. Its long beaches, crystal clear waters, they enjoy the sea and the beach crowds. His castle in rehabilitation and beacon towers, take you back in time, when the landing of "pirates" were commong, deeping you in old tales.

It is a fishermen village, but today, the population is engaged mainly in agriculture. You might get lucky and return with a trunk full of fruits and vegetables (green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon ...) that a neighbor just picked up for you...

4 towers and a castle that once guarded and protected our shores.

Zambullon tower as you enter is found in the town coming from Motril. Overlooks the beach of Calahonda.

Rijana tower, located in the cove bearing the same name. Also known as a tower of "convicted" that was doomed to abandonment because of its poor condition, or as popularly said, because there was a condemned prisoner in this tower.