Cortes de la Frontera

SANDWICHED between the Alcornocales natural park and Sierra de Grazalema natural park in the far western reaches of Malaga province is the pueblo blanco (white town) of Cortes de la Frontera. It is in a superb vantage point overlooking the sweeping Guadiaro valley below, with a spectacular backdrop of the Serranía de Ronda mountains.

Dominating the landscape around the town are extensive woods of cork trees (alcornocales) that stretch from the Guadiaro river westwards, to where the municipal boundary meets Cadiz province, and beyond. Cork has contributed greatly to the local economy since the late 17th century. Cortes used to be one of the richest pueblos blancos because of cork production and evidence of this wealth can still be seen today in the grand 18th-century mansions lining the main street.

Covering over 170km², Cortes is one of the largest municipalities in Malaga province. The town of Cortes has a population of around 4,500 and is located at 623m.

The Phoenicians were the first to arrive, in the 11th century BC, followed by the Greeks and Romans, the remains of whose settlement are a few kilometres outside town in Cortes El Viejo, in the Sierra de la Blanquilla. Scattered around the Cortes municipality are also vestiges of their aqueducts, bridges and monuments. The Romans gave the town the name of Cortex, meaning protection or defence.

Under the Moors, Cortes was controlled in different periods by the kingdoms of Seville, Granada and Ronda. It was briefly conquered by the Christian king, Fernando III, in the 13th century before reverting back to the Moorish control. The Christians led by the Marquis of Cadiz, Rodrigo Ponce de León, only regained power over Cortes at the very end of the Catholic reconquest, in 1485.

Many buildings in Cortes date from the 18th-century, the most prominent of these being the elegant sandstone building of the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), with a neo-classical façade, which was constructed in 1784. Several other buildings are from the same period, such as the town's church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the Casa de los Valdenebros (1763) and the Casa Parroquial (built in 1700). The curious Casa de Piedra (Stone House) is a rock that was carved out in Moorish times.

Plaza de Toros

The bullring was built in 1894 and restored in 1921. With a 1,000-strong capacity, the bullring is one of the largest in the Serranía de Ronda. Its size is a reflection of Cortes's strong tradition of cattle rearing (the town's annual feria features a cattle fair), as are its various and well-established bullfighting fiestas.

Torre de Paso

A few kilometres out of town at Los Castillos is the Torre de Paso, a 13th-century defensive tower constructed by the Moors to guard the Gaucín-Ubrique road.

ACCOMMODATON

There is a wide choice of accommodation in the town: hotels, rural houses, apartments and camping.

For something completely different, stay in a yurt at the Hoopoe Yurt Hotel a few kilometres outside of town.

In La Sauceda recreation area in the Alcornocales park is a campsite with cabins to rent and is a good base for walking in the park.

There are three youth hostels in the area. The Albergue Juvenil El Parador on Avenida de la Democracia enjoys superb views of the Sierra de los Pinos and the Guadiaro valley. Located in Mediterranean woodland in the Alcornocales park 6km from town, the Albergue Juvenil de Cortes is on the Villamartín-Puerto del Espino road at Km 51.6. The third, the Albergue Juvenil Las Camaretas, is located next to the municipal swimming pool and also has a campsite and cabins to rent.

Click here for more Guadiaro Walks

EATING

Cortes has a good selection of restaurants, bars and bodegas where you can sample local fare, such as Mesón Alameda on Plaza Carlos III with outdoor tables and Mesón Los Alcornocales, offering typical serrano dishes. Try the Cortes speciality of veal, ternera cortesana. In the autumn, look out for fresh game such as jabalí (wild boar) on menus in the town's restaurants. Also available is locally produced cheese, honey and cured ham.

WALKING

As it is located between two stunning natural parks, Cortes is in the heart of excellent walking country. The longest route is the sendero (walk) of the Llanos de Líbar on the edge of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Despite its length of 19km, it covers a shallow gradient, crossing the gently rolling flood plain (llano) of the Guadiaro river between Cortes and Montejaque. It takes around seven hours.

You can also walk along the Guadiaro river to the Cañón de las Buitreras Natural Monument, an impressive gorge with a colony of griffon vultures (buitres). However, the gorge's steep sides, train tunnels and a lack of a clear track or footpath to follow through the woods mean that it is easy to get lost, whichever of the three access routes to the gorge you take. It is close to the village of El Colmenar, near the Buitreras hydroelectric power station.

Other activities in the cork forests and in the mountains of the Serranía de Ronda around Cortes include birdwatching, horseriding, potholing and mountain biking.

FESTIVALS

Romerías
If you visit in June, don't miss the town's two colourful romerías (pilgrimages); at the beginning of the month is the Romería de la Virgen del Rosario, where the Virgin of the Rosary statue from the church is paraded through the streets, and the Romería del Caballo held in mid-June, which is dedicated to horses.

Feria de San Roque & San Sebastián
The town's annual summer fiesta, the Feria de San Roque and San Sebastián, is a riotous occasion celebrating the town's patron saints on 23-27 August. The most exciting event is the release of a bull (known as the toro del aguardiente) into the streets, as well as a cattle fair, dances and contests. For flamenco aficionados, there is a fandango named after the town: the fandango de Cortes.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Contact the Town Hall on 952 154 000. There is a visitors' centre for the Sierra de Grazalema on Avenida de la Democracia (952 154 599), with information on both Grazalema and the Alcornocales natural parks. It also has exhibitions on cork and hunting. It's open from Thursday to Sunday and on public holidays.