Castellar de la Frontera

Standing on a rocky promontory with its magnificent castle overlooking the entire Bay and the Rock of Gibraltar, Castellar is the green lung of the area, benefiting from the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.

Its origins date back to the Bronze Age (archaeological sites at the El Cancho Caves, El Tajo and Abejera), but it truly developed an identity after the Muslim conquest, becoming known as Al-Qars.

When speaking about the town, we have to distinguish between Old Castellar and New Castellar, built in 1971 8km from the old town. The fortress (12th–15th century) is situated in the old town, in perfect condition although is has been renovated. Within the castle there is one of the few examples in existence of an inhabited urban nucleus inside a fortress. It retains a marked Medieval character, with its sinuous network of clean, white-washed streets. This is where the El Divino Salvador Church is located, along the side of which runs a passageway called ‘algorfa’ which connects it with the Alcázar, the Moorish palace.

Another building of Muslim origin is the Almoraima Tower, which sits upon a hill. This tower was used as a beacon as well as a way of transmitting news.

La Almoraima

This, along with old Castellar and Nuevo Pueblo de Castellar, is the third urban area in the borough. In 1603, the Mercedarian Order built the San Miguel de la Almoraima Convent here. The monks remained there until the midseventeenth century, when it passed into the hands of the Duke of Medinaceli, who converted it into an estate for recreation and hunting. In 1945, the Almoraima Bark-Stripping Company was set up, around which homes were built which would then become the district of La Almoraima.

Castellar “El Nuevo” is a totally modern town, with wide streets and squares. Here we find the Divino Salvador Church housing the image of the Santísimo Cristo de la Almoraima, worshipped by many. In the Plaza Andalucía, there also stands an important sculpture which commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the creation of the new town, and nearby there is a second sculpture dedicated to Human Rights.

Another attractive feature is the cuisine, which is always closely related to game, and in particular venison, as well as rabbit and partridge. Whether presented as ham, chops, fillets or loin, venison is tender and is generally tenderised by marinating it in wine and herbs.

The Bull Route

This town is included in the itinerary known as the Bull Route, which runs through the province of Cadiz, and which is an invitation to discover the life of this animal in its natural habitat, as well as the selection procedure involved in continuing the fighting-bull as a species. At the Boyal and La Almoraima cattle-rearing farms, one can enjoy sights of the vast herds of fighting cattle which are bred on these lands.