We invite you to take a virtual stroll through our historic quarter, in the course of which you will encounter a number of interactive, 360º images; to view these images successfully, you need to have Java installed on your computer. If you do not have Java. you can download it securely and free of charge at www.java.com.

We make this suggestion so that you do not miss any of the picturesque nooks and crannies, but if you prefer to simply set off along Calle Real and let instinct be your guide, that will delight you too.

Si quiere ver un paseo virtual completo con imágenes en 360º por todo el casco antiguo pinche aqui.

We will begin our visit to the old town from the Plaza del Ingenio. If you have arrived by bus, this is where the service terminates; if by car, there is ample parking beneath the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, 50 metres from our starting point.

Before venturing into the old town itself though, we will first go up the street running behind Bar Virtudes, called Cuesta del Apero. Shortly, on the right, we will come to the Casa del Apero, built at the beginning of the XVII century as stables, grain store, and storage for agricultural equipment and tools, to serve El Ingenio. It was constructed to a rectangular plan on two storeys with an inner courtyard, with dressed stone and rendered walls. The arches, columns and main entrance are all constructed in brick.

It was restored during the 1990s and converted into the cultural centre, casa del Apero, housing the library, space for permanent and temporary exhibitions, the museum and the Tourist Information office. We can thus use our visit to gather whatever information we need for our tour.

Whilst at the Casa del Apero, and once we have visited the archeological museum, we can climb up to two miradors (viewpoints). The first offers a view to the east, down to the river in the area of the Football 7s stadium, an area known as La Horca (the Gallows), an apparent reference to the time of the wars with the French, when according to history several inhabitants of Frigliana were hanged here in reprisal for the disappearance of French soldiers. The other mirador gives a view of the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, the gardens of El Portón, and - dominating the view - the building known as El Ingenio.

 It was built in the Renaissance style at the enod of the XVI centruy as a mansion house for the Marique de Lara family, lords of Frigiliana  since 1508. It occupies 2.000 square metres, and outstanding features include the doorways built with stones and other materials reclaimed from the demolished Arab castle, balconies, window grilles, sundial, as well as the decorated caparison, and two niches which were dedictaed to San Raimundo and La Virgen del Carmen. Nowadays, it is home to the only  working molasses factory in Europe as well as an oil press which still presses the olives in the traditional manner.

We can now begin our walk by retracing our steps down Cuesta del Apero and then going up to the right hand side of El Ingenio, from where we have views along the river in both directions and can also see above us the watercourses constructed in the XVII century as the means of channeling water to where it was required in those days.

Calle Real, the main street of the historic quarter, begins a few metres beyond El Ingenio; it is the only street accessible to wheeled vehicles. As soon as we begin to climb the slope, on our lefthand side we arrive at the Reales Pósitos (the Royal Granaries) where from 1767 surplus grain was stored in years when there was a good harvest. The brick facade has been conserved, although the lower level is now divided into shops, homes and bars. We may perhaps pause to visit some of the shops and perhaps treat ourselves to a souvenir, although our walk has scarcely begun and there will be ample other opportunities to buy some miel de caña or other artesan products of the village.

Carrying on up the street we now come to a junction, Calle Real continuing to the left and Calle Hernando el Darra branching off to the right. Hernando el Darra, as we have said, was a landowner and member of a noble Frigiliana family, who played an important role in the Morisco rebellion.

King Fernando had to deploy troops to defeat el Zagal and take Velez. Whereupon, the charismatic and militarily experienced el Darra cut off the redoubts at Velez, Torrox and Nerja, and so the first attempt to suppress the uprising, using troops based in Velez ended in disaster.

Continue Towards El Torreon