Tag Archives: White Villages

Loquat Day in Sayalonga, Sunday, May 6

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Sayalonga VillageThis Sunday we have an opportunity to combine a tour of the beautiful villages of Malaga with local celebrations of Tourist Interest: The village of Sayalonga, located in the Axarquia region of Malaga, celebrates on the 6th of May the Loquat Day. This typical festival takes place every year on the first Sunday of May, in harvest season of this fruit.

The Loquat, a fruit from Southeast Asia, came to Europe in the late 18th century and is now cultivated in many countries with a Mediterranean or subtropical climate. In this 28th edition of the Loquat Day of Sayalonga will be distributed over 2,000 kilos of premium Loquats and there will be also tastings of Loquat jam and Loquat Liqueur. Visitors can also enjoy a folk festival with music and dancing from 12 noon to 7 pm, at Plaza Rafael Alcoba, and a craft market.

Sayalonga is a beautiful White Village in the foothills of the Natural Park of Sierra de Tejeda and Almijara, the highest mountains in the province of Malaga, with more than 2,000 meters. As additional information, you can enjoy during these days unusual views, as the recent rain has settled as snow on their highest peaks. Spectacular!

How to get to Sayalonga:
Sayalonga is located about 46 km east of Malaga. It is easily reached by the Mediterranean motorway A-7 towards Motril / Almeria. Take exit 277 to Algarrobo. We start getting into the Sierra de Tejeda, zigzagging along the A-7206 and gaining altitude and leaving behind the coast with beautiful views.

Trips along the villages of Malaga: From Marbella to the Smurfs Village

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Today we propose a tour of some of the villages in the area known as the Serrania de Ronda and Genal Valley, covering the interior mountains northwest of Marbella to Ronda. The town of Ronda is a popular tourist destination known for its great beauty and is certainly worth a visit.

Juzcar village MalagaBut in this article we want to bring you closer other less known municipalities: Small villages hidden in the mountains that go completely unnoticed and where we can still find typical Andalusian traditions and architecture. We invite you to discover these places located in a beautiful natural setting, less than an hour from the Costa del Sol.

From the Highway A-7 take in San Pedro de Alcantara the exit to Ronda (A-397). On the road to Ronda we penetrate into the interior, gaining height and saying goodbye to the coast with fabulous views. Continue for 35 km along this road and then take the secondary road MA-7306 to the left that leads to the villages of Cartajima and Juzcar.
Cartajima, a tiny village of just 250 inhabitants, is the highest village in the Serrania de Ronda, located over 800 meters above sea level, surrounded by vast forests of chestnut trees. This Moorish-style white village has exactly one bar, a tobacconist and a bakery / shop, which to the author seems rather peculiar, striking and charming.

About 5 kilometres from Cartajima is located Juzcar; this until recently white village has become quite popular now as the “Village of the Smurfs“: There was made the film of Smurfs and on the occasion all households were painted blue; through a referendum, the town’s residents voted to keep the blue and since then the town is receiving a dramatic increase in visits.

Also from Juzcar we can enjoy magnificent views over the valleys full of oak and chestnut. From San Pedro de Alcantara the villages are less than 50 km away. It’s a nice route for a day trip to get to know some “lost villages” and the magnificent nature of the interior of Malaga. Enjoy!

Excursion to Alora

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Last week we proposed a trip to Ardales, a beautiful town belonging to the villages of the Guadalhorce valley, the green orchard of Malaga. There are good reasons to discover some spectacular places few kilometres off the coast of Malaga. Today we present Alora, situated 40 kilometres from Malaga and 53 kilometres from Marbella.

The road trip is a visual pleasure; through rolling hills that are now stained green and orchards of fruit and vegetables we approach Alora, which greets us from afar with a breathtaking view of the Moorish castle on a impressive hill that rises about 100 feet above the river.

In this town took place the past weekend on February 18 and 19, the first Andalusian Traditional Cheese Market. As its name suggests, in this market you could buy artisan cheeses produced in Andalusia of a total of 15 dairies that also offer other dairy products. During these two days there were also workshops and tastings. The venue was the Mirador de la Cancula in Cervantes Avenue and it started at 11 am; on Saturday until 8 pm and on Sunday until 3 pm.

The green Guadalhorce valley is flanked on the north by high mountains of the Sierra de Huma where is situated the spectacular Gorge of the Gaitanes, very popular among hikers and climbers. This area is great for trips throughout the year and the valley is especially lovely in winter-spring, with trees full of oranges and lemons, and in the month of April, when the valley is flooded with the fragrance of orange blossoms from its orchards.

Getting to Alora

From Malaga on the national roads A-357 and A-343 and from Marbella on the A-355, A-357 and A-343.

If you like you can book a day trip to the villages of Malaga or hire a car in Malaga and make the tour by yourself.

This weekend: Excursion to Ardales!

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By now, probably most readers will wonder where Ardales is and why it is worth doing a trip there. Questions we will solve gladly and promptly.

Ardales is a small village of 2,600 inhabitants, winding streets and whitewashed houses located about 450 m above sea level in the north-western province of Malaga, about 50 km from the capital of the Costa del Sol and 63 km from Marbella.

First we comment what activities are there on Sunday February 12, but read on to discover why it is a place worth a visit all year round, and a lot! This Sunday, February 12, takes place one of the most traditional festivals in the village, the Feast of the pig slaughter, one of the gastronomic events in the province of Malaga. Visitors can enjoy for free all kinds of locally produced pork products such as sausage, salami, chorizo, meat portions and pork stew.

Also there are musical performances, a traditional product market and a craft market. This Souk in Ardales, with completely handmade products, takes place from 10 am until 5 pm. Apart from enjoying the party, stroll around the lovely and well maintained old town.

Ardales is a beautiful town with some of the most important natural and archaeological sites in the province. The town lies at the foot of a steep hill on which are still preserved the ruins of an ancient fortress. Just 5 km from the village is located Trinidad Grund Cave, with Paleolithic cave paintings, which can be visited by appointment. Also located nearby are the ruins of the Moorish castle Bobastro. But Ardales is probably best known for its spectacular nature: The Gaitanes Gorge, very popular among nature lovers, hikers and climbers; and the Natural Park of the Guadalhorce reservoirs.

This marvel to discover is less than an hour from the main towns of the Costa del Sol and certainly worth a day trip to discover the great beauty and variety of the province, only a few miles from the bustle of the coast.

Getting to Ardales:

Ardales is 50 kilometres from Málaga on the A-357 and 63 km from Marbella on the A-355 and A-357.

Pizarra Medieval Market November 25 to 27

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Probably few readers have heard by now about Pizarra. This little town is located 30 km from Malaga and is one of the beautiful villages of the Guadalhorce Valley, also known as the Orchard of Malaga. The town of Pizarra is picturesquely situated at the foot of the Sierra Gibralmora Mountains and along the river Guadalhorce which gives its name to the valley with an abundance of lemon and orange trees and other fruit trees, subtropical crops and traditional orchards.

The Guadalhorce Valley also covers interesting places like Alora, Coin and Abdalajís Valley, which are like Pizarra a fantastic destination for a day trip or for routes and hiking in nature, especially during winter and spring, when the entire valley is fragrant with the scent of orange blossom, a delight!

But back to topic: The last weekend of November 25 to 27 we can enjoy a Medieval market in this town in the province of Malaga. There will be medieval setting, craft stalls, workshops and children's games and of course a wide range of dishes for all tastes.

So why not combine a trip to the Guadalhorce valley with the Medieval market tour of Pizarra?

How to get to Pizarra

From the municipalities of the western Costa del Sol take the A-7 motorway towards Malaga. Take exit 231 and follow direction Campillos and then join the Guadalhorce motorway A-357 to Pizarra.

Those who prefer to enjoy a more "rustic" car ride may deviate from the highway and transit along the original A-7054 road to Pizarra which runs placidly parallel to the river between crops and cottages. One of the author’s favorite trips!

Alora in Malaga will celebrate the 2nd of October the 8th edition of the Perota Soup day

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The town of Alora has organized for the eighth consecutive year the Day of Sopas perotas (a typical soup of the municipality). This event attracts each year thousands of visitors to this municipality of Valle del Guadalhorce valley on the first weekend in October. This is one of the most important events in the culinary and cultural calendar of the province of Malaga.

Each year are handed out more than 7,000 free portions of the city’s most typical dish accompanied by Alora Manzanilla olives. Throughout the day, you can enjoy a market with over 50 exhibitors from delicacies and traditional local crafts and the “Route of Soups” in fifteen bars of the old town.

The Soup Perota, is basically a mix of fried vegetables, chips and crumbled bread eaten with fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits (cucumbers, peppers, onions, oranges, grapes, pomegranates, etc.) from the Guadalhorce valley. Celiacs also have the opportunity to enjoy the product as there will be as well gluten-free Soups Perota.

To taste the “Sopa Perota”, you will have to go the Plaza Baja de La Despedia, the area with more flavor and bustle of the town of Alora.A curious party, for if we wish to attend, we just need a spoon, because to the “Soup Perota” we get invited by the village of Alora. Along with the gastronomic festival, you can enjoy the cultural heritage of the municipality, with guided tours of the castle, the archaeological museum, etc …The day comes with a wide range of leisure and cultural activities: performances of verdiales, flamenco, children’s activities and workshops.

Those attending the party may move to Alora in the RENFE suburban train from Malaga capital and other parts of the western Costa del Sol. The ticket price includes round-trip routes and the bus that connects the centre of town with Alora train station and its cost is included in the price of train ticket. In addition there will be also available car parking at the entrance to Alora with shuttle bus to the historic centre, also for free.

Music festival in Ronda – July 2010 

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In Ronda will be held, from 5th to 9th of July, the eleventh meeting of philosophy in relation to the Music Week, with lectures, workshops and concerts from a wide variety of musical genres.

The city of the Tajo, located about 100 km from Malaga capital and about 60 km from Marbella, is famous not only for its many historical monuments but also is located in a beautiful scenery and surrounded by natural parks; thus Ronda is definitely worth a visit for those who spend their holidays on the Costa del Sol.

Malaga baritone Carlos Alvarez will close the events of the week on Friday, 9th of July.
All scheduled events will be held in the Library of the Real Maestranza. The lectures are free and the concerts cost 10 Euros and 5 Euros for children less than 16 years and citizens over 65 years.

Organized by the owners of the Plaza de Toros, Real Maestranza de Ronda, the event is part of a series of cultural events scheduled to commemorate the 225. anniversary of the Plaza de Toros. The event begins with a week of music.

There are scheduled the following concerts:

  • 05/07/10 – 20:00: Música in Acción – Ensemble Cosmos 21
  • 06/07/10 – 20:00: L’ Arte della Coloratura – Pilar Jurado & Duncan Gifford
  • 07/07/10 – 20:00: The Joy of Africa – Aba Taan
  • 08/07/10 – 20:00: Radio No-Man’s Land