La Fortaleza de Vélez-Málaga

Hilltop Nasrid fortress crowning Vélez-Málaga's old town

The Fortaleza — or Alcazaba — of Vélez-Málaga stands on the hill above the old Medina, its origins reaching back to the 10th century. During the 14th and 15th centuries it became one of the most important fortresses of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, commanding the fertile Vélez valley and wide stretches of the Axarquía. Its roughly 1,500 m² walled enclosure follows the contours of the rock, reinforced by solid bastions and lateral towers, but what impresses most is its central keep, popularly known as the Torre del Homenaje. After the Christian conquest of 1487 the fortress served in turn as a royal house, captaincy general, prison and town council. Restored and floodlit, it is today the emblem of the town and a panoramic viewpoint over the coast — and each summer the square at the foot of its walls hosts the open-air cultural series 'A los pies de la Muralla'.