Discover Carratraca

One of Spain’s Cultural Heritage sites and full of history, it’s hard not to fall for the hidden treasures of this spa town

Carratraca is a town with real charm and many memorable sights to visit. The Spanish government considered these attractions of sufficient importance to declare the town a Cultural Heritage Site in 2004. Since time immemorial, Carratraca has been the destination of those seeking to bathe in its healing spa waters. It has taken in all kinds of travellers, from Arabs and Romans to, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Juan ‘el Camisón’, a thief whose nickname came from the nightshirt he wore to cover his diseased skin: he found his cure in the waters, as well as his faith.

In 1830, a guest house was built alongside the town’s spa. It was constructed for the occasion of King Ferdinand VII’s visit.

With the great influx of people who came to benefit from the properties of the sulphur-rich waters, it was decided to construct a new, improved spa. Work began on this project in 1847. By the middle of that century, the spa had become one of the most desirable spots for the stars of high society to come for rest and relaxation. Amongst the renowned figures who enjoyed the waters were the Spanish politician Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, the Empress Eugenia de Montijo (wife of Napoleon III), the baron and poet Lord Byron, the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke and members of the famous Spanish Heredia family business. It is estimated that by the end of the nineteenth century, around 5000 people were attending the spa each year.

Carr-Altrak, or ‘Cleansing of Impurities’ was the Arabic name for the town. Carratraca became a forerunner of today’s health tourism in Málaga province, although by this point it offered other attractions, such as a bull ring and two casinos.

There are a variety of itineraries that will introduce you to this town’s charms and which offer genuinely unforgettable experiences: walks focused on Doña Trinidad Grund, an extremely important figure in the town’s history; the diamond trail, focused on the caves in which they were found; the water trail, focusing on the value of Carratraca’s most famous asset; a carriage tour, which tells the story of the bourgeois society that passed through; or the charcoal mine trail. After your visit, there’s sure to be more Carratraca still to discover!