Sorroundings/Situation

Sorroundings/Situation

Alozaina takes up a slightly elevated position on the western limit of  Guadalhorce Valley County. It stretches from the Grande River Valley (flowing into the Guadalhorce), to the south, up to the peak of Sierra Prieta, to the north. Thereby unifying the land in the Valley with the Eastern mountains of the Serranía de Ronda. The natural views from Alozaina are therefore varied, the most beautifully scenery being on the sides of the Sierra Prieta , Especially that offered in the Ventanilla, which can be reach by forest paths from the Cuesta de Pino Alto. This is and exceptionally interesting scenic route giving magnificent panoramic views of the Guadalhorce Valley. The old town offers the typical architecture of Andalusian towns and, in 1977, was voted the prettiest city in Spain. This was mainly due to their delightful streets with whitewashed houses filled with flowers with the local church taking pride of place. The church, under the auspices of Santa Ana, goes back to the 18th century, even though an inscription leads us to believe it may be early 17th century. It has a Latin cross covered in wood  and, from the outside, one can see the great square floored tower with its octagonal bells covered by a pyramid shaped roof. Other places worth a visit nearby, may be the Castle and the abandoned villages of Ardite and Jorox, all from medieval times. Within the grounds of the mansion Los Hoyos de los Peñones there is a small church and a necropolis from Mozarabic times. Alozaina is one of the towns around the Serranía de Ronda and in the entrance to the Guadalhorce Valley that can boast a rich and varied cuisine: fried garlic and eggs, rabbit in garlic with tomato, gazpachuelo (a type of fish soup), enblanco, malcocinado, salmorejo (a tomato and garlic based pure) y tortillas de bacalao (small pieces of cod in batter). Typical fare for winter is: cabbage, las gachas (a type of thick soup with pork), stew with chickpeas, cod and garlic, fried eggs with asparagus, la sopa de caldo por encima (soup), la sopa hervida (more soup) and wild green asparagus omelette. In summer, baked pepper salad, el gazpacho (cold soup with tomato and garlic) and gazpachillo. For sweet tooths: Figgie pudding, honey biscuits and wine crunches.