Located in the middle of Cadiz province, Alcalá de los Gazules sits on the cork tree nature reserve Parque Natural Los Alcornocales. Nature enthusiasts can choose from the dozens of cork tree forest routes that differ in length and difficulty. An occasional fighting bull can be found peacefully grazing in the trails that round up in this bull route or Ruta del Toro as what these miles of vegetation, clean air and serene atmosphere has come to be called.
Alcalá de los Gazules is not on the usual tourist track. With only about 5,000 inhabitants, it is rare to find English speakers, let alone English menus in the city. Nevertheless, the people are very friendly and there are a handful of city attractions that the curious traveler can check out. These include the churches: Iglesia Mayor de San Jorge, and just outside the city, the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Santos. And then there are the convents of Santo Domingo, Santa Clara and La Victoria. There is also the Roman fountain that spouts natural spring water: the Fuente de la Salada. The old Castle of Alcalá de los Gazules is worthy of a visit, especially when craving for warm gazpacho, or tomato soup and asparagus soup.
In 1984, Alcalá de los Gazules’ town center was officially given the “Historic - Artistic” status, primarily because it has remained unchanged over the years. The town has several still-standing models of baroque and neoclassic architecture that pairs off beautifully with its aristocratic plazas, uneven streets and its impressive whitewashed walls and houses that remain true to Andalusian standards.
The world famous writer Federico García Lorca, born in the Andalusian province of Granada, called attention to Alcalá de los Gazules when he wrote the following in 1924: "I breathe for Malaga..., for Cádiz, for Alcalá de los Gazules, for what is intimately Andaluz".
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