1919 ll about the xarquia A Issue 184 www.theolivepress.esA April 2 - April 16 2014 ROADBLOCK: Herd of goats en route to wards Maroma moun- tain near Sedella Tolkien-shireWild soaring mountains, crystal brooks and elegant white- washed villages. Tom Powell is blown away by the stunning, varied Axarquia region en route to its ‘crown’ of Comares IPPING your feet in the cool Mediterranean, in a Nerja cove backed by a buzzing town with bars, restaurants, Dtapas and ice cream, is a wonderful experience. But the first sip of beer as you gaze out across the breath-taking Axar- quia landscape from the hill-top vil- lage of Comares - following an epic drive through mighty mountains and whitewashed pueblos – is simply Picture by Jon Clarke unbeatable. The Axarquia is best appreciated road, marveling at the mountains noise came from a stream trickling carnacion. lage, built on olive oil and wine pro- when you head inland from the specked with isolated white homes down from the mountains above The eye-catching fourteenth century duction, is the smallest municipality coast, and the transition from Ner- as if they had been sprinkled on the and the distant engine of a tractor. tower is the minaret of an earlier in the Axarquia. But make sure to ja’s tourist hum to tranquil moun- landscape like hundreds and thou- A street so narrow that obese tour- mosque, the clearest evidence of stop. tain beauty doesn’t take long. sands. ists could struggle to pass led to a Archez’s Moorish roots. The mazy streets are home to plump Within minutes of leaving the beach- My first stop was in Archez, nestled charming mini-plaza with geraniums Five kilometres further on sits old ladies snoozing in the morning es behind me in the morning sun, I in the foothills of the Sierra Almija- adorning houses and the quaint gleaming white Salares below the was ascending a winding mountain ra, and it set the bar high. The only church of Nuestra Senora de La En- Maroma mountain. This elegant vil- Turn to page 20 becomes Cerveceria Restaurante Belga Calle Gloria, 9, Nerja Open 12hu/24hu Closed on monday 2020 2121 ll about xarquia A A April 2 - April 16 2014 In search of the ‘white crown’ From Page 19 ing between these villages is still seen a recent boom in housing sun, colourful potted plants and highly enviable. The roads were construction on its shores. The the odd child playing. On the other sensational – the kind you see area is home to plenty of expat side of town stands an ancient on Top Gear when they’re testing British and increasingly Scandina- Walk the stone footbridge that radiates a supercars. And the cyclists obvi- vians, Dutch and Germans. ADVENTURE: Salares bridge, (right) Comares and (inset) Migas true sense of adventure and histo- ously thought so too, often found Their main hive is the legendary Walk ry, like something out of Tolkien’s tackling mountain climbs in their Puente de Don Manuel, where me a few minutes to realise that stood atop the mountain and gazed ART lovers in Shire. droves. they can count on a cluster of Eng- this snow-cap cluster was Comares, out at this sublime region. Sierras the Axarquia Beautiful little pueblos, pickled in The first glimpse of the Vinuela lish stores, an Irish bar, great fish my garret for the night. dressed in a patchwork of pueb- will be able hundreds of years of Andalucian reservoir – just outside Canillas de and chips and conveniently a curry This spectacular place gives a los, plantations, winding roads and to enjoy all sunshine, began to fade into each Aceituno - made me desperate to house. whole new level of meaning to isolated homesteads spilled down Pictures by Tom Powell styles of arts other as I continued to cruise the drop everything and dive head-first It was from near here that I sud- ‘mountain-clinging’. It looked ma- towards the sparkling coast where and crafts mountain roads - not entirely sure into its sparkling blue waters. denly spotted what looked like a jestic and intriguing up high and Torre del Mar can be seen hugging at the sixth white crown adorning a hilltop on Art Walk- if I was heading remotely in the The turquoise reservoir helps sup- compelled me to fo- the shore. recognised by information boards pool is only open in the summer about in Competa. right direction. ply the city of Malaga but has also the other side of the lake. It took cus on the destina- There is a walking across the village. months. Due to take place over the My drive roughly followed the tion, having indulged Villages twinkled route around Co- I found myself completely alone The Axarquia is undoubtedly a hik- weekend of April 19/20, Mudejar route, which takes in five in the journey all and coastal towns mares laid out by in this serene place, bar the occa- er’s paradise. There are many clear- the event aims to bring Moorish villages and countless in- morning. pretty ceramic foot- sional locals sweeping outside their ly signposted routes heading out of together the community credible views. Benamargosa was shone, while a prints, taking in nu- home. Despite being very small, it Comares and infinitely more that in an animated and artis- I passed through Sedella, Canillas my penultimate stop- donkey brayed merous miradors, took me a long time to walk around aren’t publicised in leaflets. tic atmosphere at various de Aceituno and La Vinuela, each ping point, another the Castillo, the as I couldn’t help but stop and ad- After taking a short walk around the venues in the town. with their individual towers and impeccably white below peaceful cemetery mire the view every few minutes. edges of the village I headed back Works on show include arches, plazas and piles of potted village this time sur- and ending back in The square - where I tucked into a to my hotel located on the road into paintings, photographs, geraniums. The latter is, by local rounded by citrus orchards and avo- the central square. The remains of gigantic portion of fried pork and Comares, Hostal Atalaya. graphics, drawings, ce- standards, a ‘new’ pueblo as it was cado and mango plantations. the Moorish fort stand highest of chips - was only made louder by It is a simple yet charming place to ramic bowls and bronze only formally recognised in 1764. From there the corkscrew road all. the snoring of a middle-aged man, stay, with legs of ham, jugs of wine sculptures. In total there The landscape is so relentlessly to Comares climbed higher and It turned out to be the stronghold of slouched against his front door. and quirky lamps hanging from bread crumbs, spicy sausage, pep- are 19 artists from many spectacular that I felt guilty for not higher, but its death-defying hair- ninth century rebel leader Ibn Haf- There is no escaping the heat up wooden beams in the bar. I sam- per and slices of orange. The kind countries living and stopping at every single viewpoint pin bends were worth it. It was all sun - here and at nearby and appro- of stomach-satisfying food I could working in the Competa on the mountain though and I was pled a hearty local speciality called area. and giving it the five minutes gawp- leading up to that moment when I priately named Masmullah - who is aggrieved to discover the municipal Migas, a dish piled high with fried imagine tasting like heaven after ing it demanded. But I would never a day laboring in For more details on the event ROAD TO COMARES: Locals in the hills visit www.competaart.com have made it to Comares. the Axarquia sun. on the tracks around Comares Although a day spent journey- ARCHEZ: A beautiful pueblo pickled in the Andalucian sun After filling up fur- ther with plump, juicy olives and Q: What has fried white fish, I retired to the ho- Nerja got to tel’s south-facing balcony to feast instead upon do with Trivial night-time views of the Axarquia. The villages Pursuit? twinkled and the coastal towns shone, while a donkey wheezed A: It invented it its way back up the mountain road below me. T is possibly the most successful board game But while they enjoyed the paella, the beer and The tourist leaf- of all time, with over 100 million copies sold strolls along the Balcon de Europa, they strug- lets refer to Co- in 26 countries and in at least 20 languages... gled to find investors for ‘Six Thousand Ques- Dead interesting mares as the and it was born in the Axarquia. tions’, as it was originally called. Balcon de la Ax- IIt happened after two young Canadian journal- Just one Nerja resident decided to invest, a Ca- SAID to have been designed so the dead would not turn their backs on each arquia (balcony ists stayed in Nerja in the winter of 1980, having nadian barman. He is now a millionaire. other, it is claimed to be the only round cemetery in Spain. of Axarquia), but quit their jobs to work on the game and persuade The game went unnoticed for two years. They lost Now locals in Sayalonga hope that their unusual graveyard, built in 1840, is to be promoted better as a tourist attraction. I can’t help but investors to part with their money. money on every copy they sold and it looked to feel that is an un- Chris Haney, a high-school dropout, had been be a disaster.