El Castillo de Zalia, the Malaga province castle that has generated the most legends

It is not the only forgotten castle in the province of Malaga. Like this one, there are many others that are little more than ruins nowadays. But not even this neglect can take away the history or legends of Zalia castle near Alcaucín on the eastern side of Malaga province and near the border with Granada.

The castle was possibly built on Phoenician foundations. Today it is known as el castillo de Zalia (or Salia). Some documents even suggest it once belonged to the ancient Odyscia, one of the enclaves where the fictional adventures of Ulysses, one of the most important mythological characters of Classical Greece, took place.

Among the various legends that exist about this castle, one of the best known is the one that alludes to the anger of a bishop of Malaga, Salia Patricio, who is said to have travelled there to convert the people to Christianity after the Reconquista at the end of the 15th century. When he failed to do so, according to legend, he punished the inhabitants with divine power: as the ground opened up and snakes emerged the inhabitants fled, never to return to the area.

Another popular myth also says that the castle owes its name to Queen Zalia, who was known for her beauty and would go down to a nearby river every day to bathe on nights when the moon was full. On one such occasion, a young Nasrid boy went down there to watch her. He was caught by a guard and spent the rest of his life in prison for the deed.

It is also said that near the castle there was a pond where a donkey loaded with gold coins fell in. The donkey disappeared with all its goods and no one was able to rescue it or its cargo, meaning that there is a valuable treasure hidden under the fortress.

What is true is that it was built in the Al-Andalus period with its double ring of walls, which can only just be made out today due to the deterioration of its walls. The fortress was in an important strategic location as it was on the old Nasrid road that linked the Axarquía with Granada province.

The castle of Zalia, which depended on Vélez-Málaga until 1410, achieved greater importance. It was following the fall of Antequera, which led to a major reorganisation of this eastern part of what is now the province of Malaga. Thus, Zalia became the reference point for a district made up of villages including Canillas de Aceituno, Árchez and Corumbela. This is how it functioned until the fortress was taken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1485.

It became a prison after the Moorish rebellion of 1569 and was one of the prisons where those who took part in the uprisings against the Christians were imprisoned. It was under the command of Antonio de Luna, envoy of the Duke of Sessa.

Today, only two towers and some remains of the walls are still standing. However, the views are worth the visit alone. On the one hand, you can glimpse the blue Mediterranean Sea and on the other, La Viñuela reservoir and the peak of La Maroma, the highest mountain in Malaga province, at 2.069 metres above sea level. You can also see several villages including Los Romanes, Periana and Comares.

This castle is easily accessible thanks to the tourist complex located next to it, which has the same name. There is a path that allows a close-up view of what remains of the castle, which have been forgotten for centuries despite it being listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).