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By Dee McMath
The white village of Zahara de la Sierra is one of the most stunning
images in the Province of Cadiz. As you drive on the A382 road,
which links Arcos
de la Frontera with Antequera,
or the A376 from Seville
to Ronda you see a castle
built high on a rocky mountain peak and scattered below it are the
whitewashed houses of Zahara de la Sierra, which lead down to a
man made lake at the foot.
Zahara was once described by Richard Ford, the romantic
British traveller, as a "Moorish eagle's nest". In fact,
the town dates back to Moorish times. The inhabitants lived in constant
danger as Muslims and Christians fought over ownership. In 1407
the Christians were in control, thanks to the conquest of Don Fernándo.
In the 18th century the Duke of Arcos had a stately home in Zahara,
giving great importance to the area.
 Today's Zahara de la Sierra is becoming ever more
attractive to the more discerning tourist of Andalucia and this
is especially true at the famous fiesta of Corpus Christi, which
has been declared to be of National Tourist Interest. The people
of Zahara dress up the fronts of the houses with branches and rushes,
making the whole place look as if it were part of nature. It is
well worth visiting during this festival.
The reservoir, which is a relatively new edition
to the area, has made it even more popular with visitors, who also
have the option of water sports and swimming, which didn't exist
10 years ago.
There are many interesting sights, such as the Watch
Tower, dating back to the 16th century, the Tore del Homenaje, the
Church of Santa María de la Meza with its baroque altarpiece
and the Arch of the Town. Indeed Zahara de la Sierra was given the
title of Artistic Centre in 1983.
From a social point of view, over the last 30 years
or so, more than 2,000 of the population have migrated, mainly to
the Costa del Sol in search of work in the hotel industry. Many
of these people work the summer season and come back in winter to
the peace and quiet of their hometown. Since the town, which covers
an overall area of over 70 square kilometers, is built on the sides
of the hill ranging from a height of 300 meters above sea level
in the north and 1,100 in the south.
Accommodation and restaurants in the area are generally
more modest than in larger coastal areas and there is less evidence
of the British influence, thus giving the traveller a chance to
really sample the local dishes and wines for a real taste of Spain.
Just outside the town an old olive mill has restored
its original British manufactured Victorian presses and invites
visitors to see how the olive
oil is produced. Well worth a visit.
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