A visit to Colomares Castle, Benalmádena

A visit to Colomares Castle

Castillo de Colomares was the inspiration of Dr. Esteban Martin Martin, a Spaniard who moved to the US in 1950. When he came back to Spain in the 70’s he bought this plot of land and decided to build this Castle (in the shape of a boat) commemorating Christopher Columbus. After 7 years of construction, it was completed in 1994. It’s different from any castle you’ll ever see and it is one of the most visited attractions in Benalmádena.

It’s an odd castle that’s made the record books:

With an area of 1500 square meters, it is the largest monument in the world dedicated to Christopher Columbus.
Colomares Castle has a chapel dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary which measures just 1.96 square meters. It is the smallest chapel in the world.

The castle even has a mausoleum built for Columbus, the hope being that his remains will one day be moved here (Columbus’ remains are in Seville Cathedral and the last I’ve heard there are no plans to move them…).

This is an eccentric piece of work by a man who clearly was enamoured by Christopher Columbus and his discoveries. But it is not just a monument to Columbus, it is a monument to Spain: Martin Martin has studiously incorporated elements that represent Spain. You’ll see examples of various architectural styes (Byzantine, Romantic, Mudejar, Gothic), homage to the various cultures that have defined Spain (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), and symbolic references to the aims of Columbus’s travels (there is, for example, a Chinese pagoda that symbolizes Columbus’ original idea of reaching the coasts of Asia).

You’ll also see references to history: The entrance to the castle has a Mudejar style portico and is called the Portico of the Unity of the Marriage of the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile). The Fountain of the Betrothed represents the moment when Ferdinand and Isabella met in Valladolid. You’ll see a representation of a map of Hispaniola which represents the sinking of the ship Santa Maria in the Indies.

But many people skip the history lessons and are just content to climb the various parts of the castle and enjoy the views looking over the coast. Colomares Castle is a popular place for families and kids in particular have a good time running around the grounds.

So should you visit Colomares Castle? Some might argue that it’s a bit kitschy and Disney-ish. But it also a legitimate monument dedicated to the most famous explorer in history and has been constructed with lots of references and symbolism to Spain that even people with an interest in history can appreciate.