About Casares

Casares is a much photographed, picturesque village approximately 13km inland from the Costa del Sol, approx. 1,400 feet above sea level with panoramic views down to the coast, the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and Morocco. It is a village of narrow, winding streets centered around a typical Andalucian plaza with fountain. It has several nice restaurants and a number of tapas bars. There are several small grocery stores as well as a butcher, a bakery and many other types of shops.

Casares Costa is located on the Costa del Sol between Estepona and Manilva. Its recent development has brought with it two first class golf courses and its proximity to Puerto de la Duquesa in Manilva and to Estepona means easy access to good restaurants and nightlife.

Casares is said to come from the Arabic word "Caxara" although legend has it that it is derived from Caesar.

The municipality of Casares dates from pre-Roman times. We can find traces of our ancestors of the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods in the caves of the Crestellina, Utrera and Bermeja mountains and in the towns of Ferrete and Utrera.

In neighbouring Alechipe we find the ruins of Lacipo, a town once surrounded by walls, which survived from 600 B.C. until 300 A.D. Many artefacts of the Roman age have been found, including coins minted there, pottery and two altars dedicated to Youth and Fortune.

There are Roman bridges in Hedionda and aqueducts in Crestellina. Legend tells us that Casares was founded by Julius Caesar in gratitude for regaining his health when he had a bath in the sulphuric waters of the Hedionda Baths. It is said that he ordered the construction of the bath which is still used today, they are called Baños de la Hedionda.