Cara del Moro: Alicante’s best legend

El Postiguet Beach.

A few metres from Melia Hotel.

Yes! That’s the right position.

Then you raise the look to the prominent Santa Barbara Castle, concretly to the Benacantil Mountain’s slopes and you’ll see it. This particular profile sculpted on the rocks – Cara del Moro (Moor Face) – reminds us the best keeped legend of Alicante and, apparently, the reason of its actual name.

The legend tells the story of one Califa and his only daughter, Cántara. He found two pretenders to marry her – Ali and Almanzor – and to decide the right one, the beloved father orders each one to perform a concret task. He ordered Almanzor to cross the world till India and pick up some spices to bring as present for Cántara; for Ali it was to build a ditch from Tibi’s reservoir to Alicante. Instead of that, Ali prefered to win Cántara with songs and poems, falling both in love. As Almanzor returned with the spices, the Califa decided to marry Cántara with him. Downcast after this decision, Ali suicided dropping himself from a cliff, and then Cántara followed him. After the love tragedy, the Califa died of sadness, bringing the town the name of Alicantara by its subjects and this carved profile on the mountain slopes as homage to the Califa.

A tragic (true or untrue?) legend that take us to another time engraved throught the Benacantil mountain. A free Alicante highlight which serves as perfect hook for a quiet visit into the Santa Barbara Castle. But. . . that’s will be another time. By the moment, let’s think that Ali and Cantara are together in another perfect place.

ألبيرتو