Above all, this is a land of sun. Enjoying one of the warmest
climates in all Europe - the temperature rarely drops below 10º
C, even in January - you can be swimming in early spring and late autumn,
and sitting or walking under marvellously clear blue skies during 320 days
of the year.
Head inland from its 30 km of Mediterranean coastline
and "La Axarquía", the ancient name given by the Moorish
Arabs to their "western marches", begins to take shape.
The road meanders through low valleys planted with semi-tropical date
palm and kiwi, chirimoya and avocado, mango and molasses, then the
landscape becomes a gentle vista of rolling hills and almond, olive
and lemon.
Now the mountains appear, the Montes de Málaga, las Sierras de Jobo, Alhama,
Tejeda and Almijara, which join to form a natural border around this
diverse and very beautiful region. This is home to the famous Moscatel
wine grape, which you will also see drying on the hillsides to make
raisins. The historic capital is the castle town of Vélez-Málaga,
an important crafts centre. North of Vélez and at the heart of the
land lies the broad expanse of Lake Viñuela.
Living primarily from agriculture, the people of La Axarquía are easy-going
and hospitable. The mountains provide a protective barrier from northern
winds for the 31 white villages dotted around La Axarquía, which means
the sunshine is warm even in winter. In summer the climate is pure
Mediterranean.
You will find this to be a gentle, hilly country, once sparcely populated but, in recent years, increasingly settled by foreigners. Local produce is plentiful and healthy; virgin olive oil is lavished
on cooking without a second thought. Only water is precious, skilfully
channelled to irrigate crops. By contrast, Sierras Tejeda and Almijara
are Natural Parks with peaks that are snow-topped in winter. Walks here
will take you by crystal clear waterfalls among tall pines. Holiday
homes are found in lower countryside where the scents of flowering shrubs
are intoxicating.
A leisurely drive takes us to the seaside resorts of Torre del Mar and
Nerja. One can enjoy sand, sea and sun, Torre del Mar's Aquapark, jetskiing
or go-carting, and beach restaurants, perhaps some nightlife, before
returning to the comfort of a house in peaceful, unspoiled countryside.
A different route through the small villages of Axarquía can leave one
wondering whether time has jumped back a few hundred years. An old,
sinewy landscape and all one sees are olive trees, raisins drying on
huge oblong paseros, gorges and seemingly deserted settlements. One
might almost expect to hear a cry and Moorish horsemen ride out to greet
the newcomer . . .
For nearly 800 years the Moors dominated this land, developing science
and literature. Their mosques and minnarets still rise above the white
villages. Today, of course, they are churches and bell towers, but
you will sense the spirit of the former rulers, unmistakeably present
in both architecture and atmosphere of the streets and squares and
in the philosophic "Que será, será" attitude of the people.
A complete history of the region is recorded in the millennia-old paintings
in the fascinating caves at Nerja (an inspired venue for classical
and flamenco performances), the ruined Phoenician Castle of Zalía
at Alcaucín, an astonishing four-tier Roman aqueduct near Nerja,
the Moorish watchtowers along the coast and skinsoothing sulphur baths
at Vilo, Periana. Not to mention 500 years of Catholic Christian rule,
whose popular expression today is most notable in each village's devotion
to its patron saint and the obligatory carousing fiestas in their
honour!
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Local produce fills tables with wholesome food, whether it be fresh seafood,
local fruits, such as the pears from which Periana derives its name,
or salads, soups and meat dishes. Many villages have their own specialities:
try the gazpacho in Frigiliana, cured ham and other tapas in Alcaucín,
the honey in Colmenar. The ubiquitous, health-giving ingredient is
olive oil, which is amongst the best in the world. After that one
can allow oneself another glass of wine . . .
Like anywhere with a sense of identity and human warmth, La Axarquía invites
you to experience it in your own way. It may be in watching wickerwork
or pottery crafts, the enchantment of tumbling streams in the thick
forests of Sierra Almijara, seaside swims, the colours across Lake
Viñuela at dusk, the look on an old face in the shade of a roadside
crag, or quite simply the charm of pleasing yourself in the peaceful
surroundings of a comfortable home. Under that life-giving, golden
sun.
