This small municipality in the province of Malaga, of Arab origin, offers a typical scenery of the region where it’s situated. Surrounded by olive trees, vineyards, etc., it stands out as a place for agriculture and offers some spectacular views of all of the mountains that surround the Axarquia region.
Iznate makes the most of the land’s irregularity for building, of its narrow streets through which we can explore the whole village completely and discover its rich culture and history in its walls.
The date in which the village was founded is unknown, although like the other villages in the region, it was probably founded by the Arabs upon Romans or Phoenicians. Its Arab name was 'Hisnat' (the castles) or 'Hisn Aute' (castle of Aute).
After surrendering to the Christian armies when these conquered Velez-Malaga in 1487, Iznate found itself in one of the most conflictive areas in the region during the Muslim rebellion in the mid-16th century. This rebellion was caused by the constant and increasing demands of the Christians and their region, the battle extended rapidly to other occupied villages, although it was counteracted by the Christian armies and the vast majority of the Moors ended up running away towards the north of Africa.
The village ended up deserted until 1574 until the lands were distributed amongst the Christians that came from other villages nearby and from the interior, in total 59 families came, whose names still remain and were the ancestors of the current inhabitants of the municipality.
The visitor of Iznate will be able to find large natural areas of mountain ranges, hills, hillsides, gorges, etc., will enjoy a rich gastronomy and an important cultural patrimony transmitted throughout the centuries.
Situated in the highest part of the village we’ll find a viewpoint with some impressive views of Sierra Tejeda y Almijara to the north and the Mediterranean to the south, and from where one can even see the northern coast of Africa on a clear day.
The church of Saint Gregory is a 16th century religious building although it has been restored since then.
The fountain of the three wishes is the oldest of all the fountains in Iznate, of Arab origin; it is said that if you throw 3 coins into the fountain, you get 3 wishes that will be granted. It’s situated at the entrance of the village.
We have to pass the municipality of Rincon de la Victoria and Hacienda del Conde, following the Mediterranean motorway, we turn off towards Huerta de Gutierrez and from there we head to Iznate.
If you need a vehicle, check out our prices for car hire in Malaga...we also offer an optional GPS if you need one. On the map below you can see the route that we have selected to get to Iznate.
Town council: C/ Vélez, 20 - 29792.
Phone: +34 952 50 97 76
Official website: Ayuntamiento de Iznate
Credit cards accepted
