Alora Castle

Álora, Spain, Spain

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Alora Castle, perched on a hilltop in the town of Álora near Málaga in southern Spain, traces its origins to Phoenician times and was expanded by Romans before being largely rebuilt by Moors in the 9th century as a fortress during conflicts with local rebels.

It features a fortified upper enclosure with six square towers, sturdy defensive walls, a distinctive horseshoe-arch gate, and standout elements like the Torre de la Vela lookout tower, offering sweeping views of the Guadalhorce Valley.

Damaged by a 1680 earthquake and later repurposed partly as a cemetery, it incorporates the 17th-century Parish Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation built over an old mosque, with visible bullet scars from 1823 French cavalry attacks; declared a National Historic Monument in 1931, it stands as a layered symbol of Andalusian history.