After the heat of summer it’s time for the charm of autumn. Trees shed their leaves and sunsets are more orange in colour. It signals the arrival of new flavours, such as roasted chestnuts, and chimneys begin to smoke. The interior of Málaga province includes all this and more. This season is ideal for visiting its villages, the majority of which have limestone walls, narrow streets and steep hills.
Ronda Mountains, between fir and chestnut
If we say the interior of Málaga, we inevitably think about the immensity of the Ronda Mountain Range or Serranía, with the municipality of Ronda particularly standing out. Ronda is a historical city that has a lot to offer. If you’ve only got one day, be sure to enjoy the views from the Tajo, its bullring and historic quarter.
But the Ronda Mountains are hiding a lot more. While driving through the forests of Spanish firs and chestnut trees native to this geographic area, you’ll come across villages like Arriate, Cortes de la Frontera, Gaucín, Benaoján, Montejaque, Genalguacil and Júzcar. The last one is out of the ordinary, as in 2011 the colour of its houses went from limestone white to a striking Smurf blue to become the setting for the premiere of the animated film.
As well as visiting the towns, you’ll be able to enjoy festivals such as the Chestnut Festival in Alcaucín and Pujerra, where the end of the harvest is celebrated. During these festivities there is an abundance of traditional roasted chestnuts, as well as all manner of gastronomic delights that bring out the best of this autumnal fruit.
Antequera and Nororma, surprising landscapes
As well as the white villages or pueblos blancos, the autumn months see the hundreds of flamingos that inhabit the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon Nature Reserve, in Fuente Piedra, a region of Antequera, making the most of their last hours in Málaga. There you can see the second biggest flamingo colony in Europe.
A few kilometres away, lovers of enoturismo have an ideal destination in Mollina, due to the quality of vineyards in the area. But if we’re talking about particular places, you’ll be surprised by the Torcal de Antequera Natural Area, one of the most impressive karstic landscapes in Europe.
Within the region of Nororma, close to Antequera, you’ll find a number of natural areas that deserve a visit: the natural monuments on the slopes of the Camorro Mountain Range (San Marcos Caves) and the Cien Caños Fountain (source of the river Guadalhorce, in Villanueva del Trabuco), and the Archidona Lagoons Nature Reserve (in Archidona).
Axarquía, singular cuisine
In the most eastern part of Málaga is the region of Axarquía, a region conquered from the Muslims at the end of the 15th century and characterised by abrupt relief and large inclines. Its houses and architecture share the characteristics of the province’s other inland villages : a predominance of the colour white, and irregular, narrow streets.
The distances between villages are greater than, for example, in the Ronda Mountains. From Axarquía you shouldn´t miss places like Arenas, La Viñuela, Frigiliana, Periana, Cómpeta, Totalán and Iznate. The star products of this region are its wines, the sugar cane honey from Frigiliana and raisins. By following the Raisin Route you can visit the villages of Totalán, Comares, Cútar, El Borge, Almáchar, and Moclinejo, and discover exactly why raisins from Axarquía are considered to be the best in the world.
