Casares

Human settlement here goes back to Iberian and Phoenician times, and the area falls within the ancient territory of the Bastuli people. At the nearby estate of Alechipe, three inscribed altars mark the site of Lacipo, one of the most significant Roman towns on the Málaga coast. Julius Caesar himself is said to have used the sulphurous baths at La Hedionda to treat a liver complaint, and word of their healing properties spread across Rome. Through the caliphate period Casares sat within the district of al-Yazira, and it remained an important centre during Almoravid expansion. From the later medieval period the Guadiaro river formed the southwest border of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

The expulsion of the Moriscos after their 1570 uprising against Philip II left the area severely depopulated. Recovery came slowly, and the 16th and 17th centuries brought sugar cane, cereals, and mulberry trees for silk production, along with several of the town's surviving churches and convents. In 1885 Blas Infante was born here, later recognised by both the Andalusian Parliament and the Spanish Congress as the father of the Andalusian nation. In 2024 Casares was named the most beautiful village in Andalucía.

The town is known for its steep, intricate streets and bright whitewashed facades. Key sites include the birthplace of Blas Infante, the Church of the Encarnación, a castle dating from the Middle Ages, the Hermitage of San Sebastián, the coastal watchtower of La Sal, the sulphurous Roman baths of La Hedionda, and several old flour mills. Casares Costa's Playa Ancha beach received a Blue Flag award in 2020.