Seven scary stories that live on in Malaga's pueblos

There are many fictional tales that are resurrected at special times of the year, especially at Halloween on the eve of All Saints' Day. As is the case in other parts of the world, in Malaga province there are many stories that have been related by different generations about terrifying moments. Ghosts that roam freely through houses creating noises or making themselves known in other ways or maybe even monsters that hide behind seemingly sweet faces - these are some of the legends that are still told in many villages across Malaga. Here are seven of them.

This is perhaps the tale most associated with the eve of All Saints' Day in the province of Malaga. According to legend, a group of spirits with chains and torches pass over an old, medieval bridge in Torrox at nightfall every 1 November. From there, according to popular belief, these souls in torment make their way to the convent of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. This place is pretty far from the centre of Torrox and has fallen into disuse. In fact, on more than one occasion the surrounding vegetation has had to be cleared so that it could still be seen. As the sun bids farewell on special days such as All Saints' Day, many of Torrox's locals flock to this place to catch a glimpse of these lost souls. The bridge has even long been popularly known as the Bridge of Souls because of this legend.

Today it may not seem credible, but for decades this story has been the most frightening of fireside tales told to children in the quiet village of Cútar. The location of this village in La Axarquía certainly provides the ideal setting for what is known as the Bird of Death. According to the story it is in this village in Malaga that, on quiet nights, the image of a woman appears. Attracted by her beauty and the light she radiates, some people might be tempted to approach her. It is then that she transforms into a bird that, after emitting a bloodcurdling scream, attacks the victim. This is how, for years, people have explained away mysterious disappearances and sudden deaths in this village and the surrounding area.

There are those who have been on pilgrimages or on a hiking trail just a few steps from this ruined building, but most will not have noticed it. On the road to the Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza, on the outskirts of Ronda, you can see on the right the house popularly known as Casa de la Rúa or Villa Apolo. There, according to legend, the young daughter of a wealthy family disappeared one night. She was found dead, without ever being able to find the perpetrator of such a vile murder. Since then, according to this scary tale, some nights the screams of the parents are heard and some even say that they have seen the ghost of the girl seeking revenge for her untimely death.

Until a few decades ago many young people from Coín used to take on the curious challenge of approaching the riverside spot of Los Callejones at night. They had to get there and light a match to prove that they had come close enough to one of the places that has frightened generations of residents of this now prosperous town in the Guadalhorce valley. There are those who feared encountering what is known as the 'goat of Los Callejones', as is said to have happened to a young man many years before. According to legend, a young man was riding his donkey through this area at night when he found a helpless, lost, young goat. He picked up the kid and carried it away, but after a few metres, the animal grew considerably larger and its eyes turned red. It transformed into some kind of monster, and the young man exchanged a few words with it before fleeing. According to this story, which has several versions, the lad woke up the next day, but he was dead. He lay on his bed with a terrible expression on his face. His hair had turned white and his eyes were wide open, staring into the beyond as though out of focus.

According to this tale, which has been passed on by word of mouth, the Devil himself lived in the Cueva de Belda, located in the natural monument of the Sierra del Camorro fault line (the San Marcos caves). A friar confronted him and managed to subdue him with a crucifix. Once he had subdued the devil, the friar tied his hands with a plant from which yellow flowers grew. According to the same religious myth, this happened on 25 April, the feast of Saint Mark (San Marcos). Hence, the tradition of tying up 'jaramago' (hedge mustard) and other plants to ward off evil is linked to the pilgrimage. Nowadays the grotto, which is not open to visitors and is protected because of its bat population and also because it is part of a natural monument of Andalucía, has become a very symbolic place in this north-eastern part of the province.

It is known as the 'round cemetery', although it is octagonal in shape. This cemetery in Sayalonga is striking for its shape and even for its possible links with Freemasonry, although, at this time of year, some people tell a story connected to this place that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. It is known as the 'legend of the gypsy child'. According to this tale, well known in this village in the Axarquía, a little boy of gypsy ethnicity was buried there in 1940, after having died in an accident, run over by a horse-drawn cart. Since then, there are those who claim to have seen a strange light that seems to emanate from the grave of the deceased child. It should be borne in mind that the location of the cemetery means that it can be seen from an elevated position from various locations surrounding it. There are also those who claim that candles or flowers appear on the boy's grave without knowing who put them there.

This building, now in cultural use, is known as Casa Cervantes, because supposedly the author of Don Quixote lived there for a while during his stay in Vélez-Málaga. However, there are those who put this centrally-located building on the map because of its esoteric nature. It is said that there paranormal events happen there, from furniture that moves of its own accord to the sounds of footsteps in rooms that should be empty. But there is more. There are witnesses to a sinister sighting, they claim to have seen a man with a hood and no face wander around the rooms of this public building.