How mad is this? As you come down the Carretera costa del sol from Benalmadena, heading towards the coast road, you’ll come across this whacky castle.
And it really is quite beautiful; you’d never believe it was built in 1987 by a Doctor and two bricklayers in their spare time.
The Castle of Colomares. Known locally as ‘Castillo de Colomares’ is the creation of a Spanish doctor Dr. Esteban Martín Martín.
He wanted to tell the story of Columbus’s voyages to the Americas.
But rather than write a book, he decided to do it in stone, and almost bankrupted himself in the process.
On returning to Spain in the 1970s, having lived in the United States for the previous 20 years, he was inspired to build the castle by the celebration of the V Centennial of Columbus’s discovery of America.
He couldn’t understand why there weren’t any tributes to the famous navigator in the area.
Although you have to ask why there would be given that Columbus doesn’t seem to have any links with Malaga or Benelmadena.
Anyway, let’s not nitpick, let’s just be grateful to the good Doctor and his two friends.
The castle’s architecture is unique and complex. It includes the sterns of the three most famous caravels in history: the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. (you can see full replicas of these boats in Huelva)
With a floor area of over 1,500 meters, this is the largest monument in the world dedicated to the explorer.
It also contains the smallest chapel in the World (1.96 M2). It’s in The Guinness Book of Records.
There’s a mausoleum built to house the remains of the navigator. I think that ship has sailed though as I can’t see the city of Seville giving his bones up without a fight.
You’ll see Romanesque corners, Gothic rosettes, and Mudéjar memories inspired by the Castillo de Arévalo in Ávila and the Monastery of La Rábida in Huelva.
It’s full of details that memorialize the Catholic Monarchs, and the many people who accompanied Columbus on his first trip including Diego Arana, Vicente Yáñez
The story unfolds as you visit the 16 locations that describe a logical route through the pages of this three-dimensional stone book.
There are references to the three cultures that developed in the Middle Ages in Spain, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
There’s also a Chinese pagoda symbolizing Columbus’s dream of reaching Asia.
Today, the property has become a magnet for influencers visiting the Costa del Sol. Over 15,000 people visit it every year.
It looks amazing in the pictures but just wait until you see it in real life
You can visit the Castle Website here
Incidentally, if you have any interest in the life and adventures of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the new World you really need to visit The Wharf of the Caravels in Palos de la Frontera, in the province of Huelva.
There’s a great museum where you can explore full-size replicas of the three famous caravels
The Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María.
And finally. If you see the name Colón on the monuments to Christopher Columbus, don’t worry. Colón is the Spanish word for Columbus and his full name in Spanish is Cristóbal Colón.
