Autumn on the Costa del Sol can almost be confused with the spring. Mild temperatures and sunny days let you spend long days out in the open air and you can enjoy pleasant trips that allow you to get to know different towns and regions in the province of Málaga better, and from a different point of view.
We suggest five getaways that you can choose during the autumn to enjoy both the changing landscape and seasonal products, delicacies that can be tasted in any of Málaga's towns and their culinary festivals.
Getaway to the Copper Forest
This getaway is a must for your schedule if you visit the Costa del Sol in the autumn. At no time of the year will you see such a radical change in the landscape, which is generally illuminated by blue and green at other times of the year. The Copper Forest (Bosque de Cobre) gets its name from the colours of the leaves of the chestnut trees from October onwards, which paint the Genal Valley with varying shades of brown, gold and ochre, as the trees experience an explosion of colour before losing their leaves.
Lots of hikers wander into the chestnut woods at this time of year (although many of them are privately owned) in order to enjoy the experience and get to know the Genal Valley better. This magnificent spectacle of nature runs through a great number of municipalities: Igualeja, Pujerra, Parauta, Cartajima, Júzcar, Faraján, Alpandeire, Atajate, Benadalid, Benalauría, Algatocín, Benarrabá, Gaucín, Jubrique and Genalguacil, and also Yunquera, in the mountains of the Sierra de las Nieves.
Visit Cuevas Bajas and its Purple Carrot Festival
Continuing with the theme of different colours and tastes, another essential event not to be missed is the Purple Carrot Festival (Fiesta de la Zanahoria Morá) in Cuevas Bajas, on 6 December, where you can enjoy this root vegetable that is at risk of extinction in Spain: the purple carrot. The purple carrot is characterised by having a purple outer layer, then an orange layer with veins or streaks, and on the inside the heart of the carrot is red. It can be enjoyed prepared in a variety of ways during this festival.
Visit Torremolinos
From 5 to 8 December, in Torremolinos, one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol, the Convent Sweets Fair (Feria del Dulce de Convento) is held. This is one of the largest displays of pastries and confectionery to take place in Andalusia. At this festival you can try borrachuelos, mostachones, yemas de San Leandro, corazones del Obispo, huesos de chocolate, alfajores, sultanas, membrillos, trufas, roscos and encomiendas. It is, of course, one of the sweetest trips possible.
Trip to Atajate
On the last Sunday of every November (Nov. 28 this year) Atajate has its Must Festival, held in honour of the grape-growing tradition of this town in the mountains of the Serranía de Ronda. During the festival you can taste and buy this must which has been prepared with totally artisanal methods by local families.
Benaoján and its Pork Products Festival
If there is one thing that cannot go missing in the larders of the towns of Andalusia, and southern Spain, it is the products that are made from the matanza (slaughter) of pigs. Benaoján, another town of the Serranía de Ronda, holds its Pork Products Festival (known as the Fiesta de la Chacina) on 5 and 6 December, where the "factories" open their doors to visitors to show these products and how they are prepared. A variety of delicious pork products can be tried during this festival, and visitors also have the chance to get to know this unique town in the province of Málaga.
