When you hear people say 'The Real Spain' this is what they
mean
Alfarnatejo
is a beautiful village in the northern part of the Axarquia
in Spain and only 35 minutes and 50kms from Malaga International
Airport. Being so high above sea level, there it is a wonderful
contrast in this area between the stone and the humid vegetation,
it has earned itself the name of The Pyrenees of the South.
Surrounding the town are peaks reaching to more than a thousand
metres, such as the Pico del Chamizo to the west, at 1,637 metres
high; the Pico del Gallo to the east at 1,556 metres or the
Vilo peak at 1,412 metres. This is truly a unique area of Malaga
province. The centre of the village, where only 500 people live,
makes for an agreeable and tranquil life-style, all the streets
are of some interest to visitors however the most interesting
building, is the parish church of Santo Cristo de la Cabrilla.
Surrounding the town are the most spectacular cliffs of the
province, they are Gómer, Doña Ana and Alto del Fraile.
The history of the area goes back to prehistoric times. A number
of Neolithic remains have been found in the River Sabar gorge,
and in the Gómer cliffs, domestic objects some 5,000
years ago have been discovered. The evolution of the town has
always been linked to that of its close neighbour, Alfarnate,
from which it separated in the 18th century. The ruins of the
Sabar castle are still evident on the peak of the Alto del Fraile.
Around the area the Saber river tumbles through
canyons on its way past the olive and oak groves, a really beautiful
sight. The Tajo de Doña Ana is right beside the river,
almost cutting its course, and looks like a monstrous sentinel
on the horizon. It's actually an enormous piece of warm coloured
rock, almost vertical reaching to 1,118 metres in height. Also
worth a visit are the Pela Horá, Chamizo and Morronquera
caves in the Tajos de Vilo, or the Palaeolithic drawings in
the Cortijo de la Cueva. Alfarnatejo begins its festival programme
with the Festival of the Candelaria, in the beginning of February,
in which the entire town participates. This is followed by the
Romería de San Marcos in the springtime, taking place on
May 15th, and another festival of the same name on April 25th.
But the really big one takes place on September 29th, this being
in honour of San Miguel and Santo Cristo de la Cabrilla. Here
there is free wine, musical performances, theatre for the kids,
the traditional verdiales (musical performances) and sporting
activities.The best way to sample the excellent gastronomy of
the area is to head for one of the tapas bars and have the home-made
pork dishes, such as sausage and black pudding. This should
be followed by a plate of kid goat fried in garlic and
mushrooms. For soup lovers, Alfarnatejo offers its very savoury
chickpea stew, really exquisite. For those who like a lighter
meal, there is the watercress or hard-boiled egg salad with
mint and garlic. And for dessert, nothing beats the traditional
San Marco doughnuts.
When you hear people say 'The Real Spain' you
can not get any more real than Alfarnatejo.
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