The region of Guadalteba, in the north of Málaga Province, is surprising in terms of landscapes, culture and food. The villages in this region have an eventful history, lively festivals, deeply-rooted traditions and hearty traditional dishes.
Tripe, kid stew, gazpacho, migas and local-style porra are some of the dishes of local cuisine served in taverns and restaurants across Guadalteba. Get ready to take a box of almond cookies from Ardales and another of wine doughnuts back home. They are finger-licking good!
Food festivals
In February, Ardales holds the Slaughter Feast, a perfect time to taste local food. More than 1,000kg of artisan pork products are distributed among visitors for free.
Teba plays host to the regional Artisan Cheese Fair in October – a great chance to savour Málaga’s cheese and olive oil.
Food for adventurers
The region of Guadalteba is like heaven on Earth for adventure sports lovers. Its natural areas – especially Los Gaitanes gorge – are great to go hiking, mountaineering, paragliding or spelunking. And after the intense physical exercise, you can replenish your energy reserves with a hearty stew, casserole or steak.
To get a glimpse of the region’s environmental and cultural importance, visit the Lagunas de Campillos natural area or the Castle of La Estrella in Teba. And when your stomach starts growling, shut it up with porra campanillera (porra from Campillos), sopa jervía (soup with bread, olive oil, garlic, peppers, onions and tomatoes) or lamb dish peasant-style.
Between the meadows and the sierras
Porra from Almargen, jarrete a la campera (veal shanks peasant-style), asparagus tortilla and grilled-vegetable gazpacho are some of the traditional dishes you can eat in Almargen, Carratraca, Sierra de Yeguas or Cañete la Real. Desserts in the latter include the popular piononos (rolled sponge cake topped with cream) and convent sweets.
Considered to be the northern gateway to Serranía de Ronda, Cuevas del Becerro serves well-seasoned stews, typical of the sierras. Try local cheese and the mouth-watering honey as well, and do not leave without savouring a suspiro, the most popular sweet
