La Peña de los Enamorados

"The Lovers' Rock", La Peña de los Enamorados © Michelle Chaplow
"The Lovers' Rock". La Peña de los Enamorados © Michelle Chaplow

"La Peña de los Enamorados"

The enormous 880m-high crag of limestone that overlooks the town and valley of Antequera is known as La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Rock" and it is also called "the Lovers Leap". The name comes from a local legend.

The Peña is located at around km155 of the A-92 motorway, between Granada/Archidona and Antequera. If you look to the left of the motorway as you approach Antequera, heading west, you will see a mountain with the horizontal profile of an Indian man's face. This is the Peña, also known as the Montaña del Indio. To get closer to the mountain, take the A354 (exit 160 of the A92, or drive north out of Antequera) and then turn off towards the Peña. The mountain is also known as "Montaña del Indio", due to its resemblance to the profile of a native Indian man's face.

TRAGIC LEGEND OF THE LOVERS' LEAP

When Ibrahim was the ruler of the castle of Archidona, he had a beautiful Muslim daughter called Tagzona who was betrothed to the old chief of the Alhama fort. However Tagzona was actually in love with Hamlet (or Tello in other versions), a handsome young Christian man from the Abencerrajes family of nearby Antequera. Some versions relate that she had met him when visiting captured Christian soldiers in prison and she helped him escape from prison. They ran away together and were chased by Moorish soldiers to the top of the rock, where, rather than renounce their love or be captured, they chose to hurl themselves over the edge holding hands - together till the end. 

This romantic fable was adapted by 18th century poet Robert Southney in his poem Laila and Manuel about two lovers: a Muslim girl and her father's Christian slave.

Abrigo de Matacabras

Matacabras Cave (Abrigo de Matacabras) on the Peña shows the evidence of a small Neolithic dwelling and shrine. Wall paintings here were tested in 2018 and found to date back to 3.900 BC. This makes the shrine the oldest in Andalucia. It also dates the Menga Dolmen which was subsequently built and orientated towards the Peña.

View points from Antequera

Ermita de VeraCruz
Jardines del Corazon de Jesus
Parque Atalaya-Gandia
Mirador Almenillas
Patio de Armas de la Alcazaba
Plaza de Santa Maria
Calle Niño de Antequera
Iglesia del Carmen 

View Points from Archidona

Centro de Interpretacion de la Cultura Mozarabe
Sanctuario Virgen de Gracia
Puerto de la Cuidad
Santo Cristo
Iglesia Parroquia de Santa Ana
Escuelas Paz
Hotel Escuela Convento Santo Domingo
Molino San Juan 'La Era'

UNESCO

Peña de los Enamorados was included as a landmark within the Antequera Dolmens Site  which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list on 15th July 2016 (including El Torcal de Antequera). 

 

"The Lovers' Leap" overlooking the town of Antequera.

 

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