{"id":74484,"date":"2022-10-07T07:44:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T05:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/visitanddo_1790.test\/?p=74484"},"modified":"2026-09-30T22:37:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:37:15","slug":"legends-of-malaga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/legends-of-malaga\/","title":{"rendered":"Legends of Malaga that you don’t know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Five legends from the province of M\u00e1laga, complete with names, locations and coordinates.<\/strong> No vague stories: houses that are still standing, a rock that can be seen from the road, and a pool where you can go for a swim.<\/p>\n

And finally, where do the All Souls\u2019 Day celebrations come from?<\/strong>, which is when these stories are retold.<\/p>\n\n

1. El Cortijo Jurado, Spain\u2019s most famous haunted house<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Cortijo
The Cortijo Jurado, next to Campanillas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s next to the A-357, near Campanillas<\/strong>, and it is probably the building with the most notorious paranormal reputation in Spain. It is commonly known as \u00abThe Haunted House\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The fact that is more surprising than the legend<\/h3>\n

It has 365 windows: one for every day of the year.<\/strong> It\u2019s what\u2019s known as a \u2018calendar house\u2019, and for that reason alone it\u2019s worth taking a closer look at.<\/p>\n

It was built in the 19th century by the Heredia family<\/strong>, one of the richest in Andalusia, as the centre of a large agricultural estate. In 1925, it passed into the Jurado family\u2019s possession<\/strong>, which is where its current name comes from.<\/p>\n\n

The legend<\/h3>\n

It is said that young women were disappearing from the estate<\/strong>, aged between 18 and 21, and that their bodies were found on the banks of the River Campanillas<\/strong> bearing traces of rituals. The story identifies the owners and tells of cellars and passageways containing torture devices<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What has been proven, however, is:<\/strong> The underground passages do exist. What is not known is whether they make it as far as the farmhouse<\/strong>, because a concrete wall blocks the way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

\u26a0\ufe0f No entry<\/h3>\n

The property is fenced off and access is restricted<\/strong>, with fencing and walls. You can see it from the road<\/strong> And that\u2019s where the visit ends.<\/p>\n

You pass it on the way to the Caminito del Rey, so if you\u2019re travelling along that road, look to your right near Campanillas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

2. The Lovers\u2019 Rock: Tello and Tazgona<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pe\u00f1a
The Pe\u00f1a de los Enamorados, between Antequera and Archidona.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You see it without even looking for it:<\/strong> it is the rock that rises between Antequera and Archidona<\/strong>, and that it is shaped like a human face lying down<\/strong>. Once you\u2019ve seen it, you can\u2019t take your eyes off it.<\/p>\n

The story:<\/strong> Tello<\/strong>, a Christian soldier, is taken prisoner in Archidona Castle. Tazgona<\/strong>, the daughter of the city\u2019s governor, sets him free. Her father does not approve of the relationship \u2014 they belong to opposing factions and hold opposing beliefs \u2014 and the two run away together.<\/p>\n

Pursued by the troops, they climb to the top of the rock<\/strong> and, with no way out, they throw themselves off the cliff, clinging to one another.<\/p>\n

It is the legend that gives the mountain its name, and explains why, in Antequera, people point towards it when they speak of impossible love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

3. The Tajo Mine, at the Casa del Rey Moro in Ronda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Gardens
The gardens of the Casa del Rey Moro, in Ronda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can actually walk along this one<\/strong>, and it is the only one of the five that can be visited inside.<\/p>\n

There are around 200 steps carved into a crevice in the Tajo de Ronda<\/strong> which lead down to the River Guadalev\u00edn, within the gardens of the Casa del Rey Moro.<\/p>\n

The legend goes<\/strong> that the king Abomelic<\/strong>, one of the last Muslim rulers of Ronda, ordered it to be excavated so that his daughter could go down to the river to have a swim<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And the real explanation is far more interesting:<\/strong> the mine was a secret exit from the city<\/strong> and the system that ensured access to water during sieges<\/strong>. In a city perched on the edge of a ravine, that was the difference between holding out and giving in.<\/p>\n

Going down is easy; climbing the 200 steps, not so much. Wear shoes with good soles and take your time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

4. Casa R\u00faa, in the Ronda mountains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ruins
The ruins of Casa R\u00faa, also known as Villa Apolo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is also known as Villa Apolo<\/strong>, and it is an abandoned manor house in the mountains. It is one of the legends of M\u00e1laga that it has made it onto television<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The story:<\/strong> A well-off family named R\u00faa lived there, with several children and staff employed to look after them. One of the girls disappeared without a trace.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some time later, one of the nannies went missing as well.<\/strong> Her parents went to look for her in the tower outside the house, and there they found the little girl, dead. The person responsible was never found.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is being reported today<\/strong> It\u2019s that you can hear crying all round the house and that the figure of the little girl is still in the tower.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in ruins and covered in graffiti. You can see it from the outside, and, like the Cortijo Jurado, it\u2019s not a place you should go into.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

5. El Charco de los Novios, in Benahav\u00eds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pools
The pools on the River Guadalmina, in Benahav\u00eds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The only one on the list where you can go for a swim.<\/strong> The Guadalmina River<\/strong> has excavated a canyon in Benahav\u00eds featuring narrow passages and pools, one of which has its own name.<\/p>\n

The story is short, and that\u2019s why it works:<\/strong> A young woman who was swimming in the river disappeared beneath the water. Her partner set off to look for her and disappeared as well.<\/strong> Ever since then, that\u2019s what the pool has been called.<\/p>\n

In summer, it\u2019s one of the best places on the Costa del Sol to cool off<\/strong>, and it\u2019s still a real torrent: the pools are deep and the water is cold all year round.<\/p>\n\n

\ud83d\udd6f\ufe0f Where do the All Souls\u2019 Day celebrations come from?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Carved<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are three different dates, and they are constantly being mixed up:<\/strong><\/p>\n