By Monique Sanmiguel
Photos: Courtesy by Unsplash, Junta de Andalucía & Castillo de Colomares
The history of Malaka began in the 8th century BC when the Phoenicians arrived at the mouth of the Guadalhorce River. About a century later, it was conquered by the Romans and experienced great growth with the export of garum, wine and oil.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the region had more than 100,000 hectares of vineyards and Malaga’s wines became world famous until phylloxera wiped out wine production and put an end to one of the province’s most flourishing periods. However, the Costa del Sol was reborn and since the second half of the last century it has become a world reference for elite tourism.
Axarquía
Is a municipality located between the sea and the mountains; it stands out for its heroic viticulture as its landscapes are dominated by steep mountains that force farmers to work manually with the help of mules.
El Borge is a village that forms an important part of the Raisin Route and in September they celebrate the sultana day, where visitors can learn how the artisans collect and dry the muscatel grapes in the different -paseros- raisin boxes, carefully chop this fruit in an autochthonous way and then pack and taste the raisins with Designation of Origin Málaga.
Rincón de la Victoria is one of the most important sporting options in the Axarquía, in summer you can go to the jábegas racing tournament, the super series triathlon or the half marathon in November, but it’s also the place where the only cave of marine origin in Europe and one of the three in the world is located.
Málaga
Is the capital of Costa del Sol and the birthplace of great artists of painting such as Pablo Picasso; of cinema like Antonio Banderas; of music such as Pablo Alborán and Pepa Flores better known as Marisol and sporting figures like Carolina Navarro Björk, number one in the world rankings of the World Padel Tour for nine years.
Alcazaba is an 11th century construction built by the Muslims and whose name means fortress al-Qasba. At 130 metres above sea level stands Castillo de Gibralfaro strategically positioned to control all access to the city by land and sea.
The Bodega El Pimpi is located in an old 18th century house, next to the Picasso Museum and opposite the Roman Theatre. It’s named after a popular character who used to show the nooks and crannies of the city to travellers arriving at the port.
workshops and artistic activities. In addition, Muelle Uno offers a wide range of cultural activities such as travelling exhibitions, concerts and events that merge with the boats, restaurants and boutiques that visitors can discover throughout the year.
Benalmádena
Is a picturesque town where nature plays a very important role as can be seen when visiting the Jardines del Muro, designed by the architect César Manrique or the Mariposario de Benalmádena, a spectacular Thai temple with more than 1500 exotic butterflies from all over the world.
At the highest point is the Colomares Castle, a monument that blends various architectural styles such as Byzantine, Gothic, Romanesque and Mudejar. It was built by Dr. Esteban Martín Martín to commemorate the five centuries since the Discovery of America.
Marbella
Is a cosmopolitan city that stands out for its lifestyle and luxury sports. This destination blends modernity with the Mozarabic past, which is why some tourists and celebrities compare it to Monaco or Saint-Tropez, even the Saudi Arabian royal family settled in their mansion, inspired by the White House with luxury villas, gardens, mosque and heliport.
Walking along the Boulevard de la Fama you will find on the paving stones, bronze figures in the shape of starfish designed by the sculptor David Marshall, where you will find the signatures of important personalities such as the Duchess of Alba, Julio Iglesias, Monserrat Caballé, Carmen Thyssen, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario or Vicente del Bosque, among many other celebrities of the international jet-set.
Serranía de Ronda
Júzcar is a special village as all its houses are painted blue and it is known as the “Smurfs’ village,” due to a promotion made by Sony Pictures Releasing in 2011 for the premiere of the Smurfs film, and currently, the municipality has decided to keep this colour on its facades, as well as in the church of Santa Catalina which was built in the 16th century and dyed blue to welcome the Smurfs.
The Tajo de Ronda is a geological formation that arose from the erosive action of the Guadalevín River over millennia and was declared a Natural Monument in April 2019. The New Bridge is a work of the architect Martín de Aldehuela which was built in the 18th century and is 98 metres high to connect the modern quarter or el Mercadillo with the old quarter to expand the town.
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