Vélez-Málaga
Municipality of the Axarquía

[History] [Places to Visit] [Shopping] [Gastronomy] [Festivities] [Additional Information ]

The large extension of the municipal district of Velez Malaga and its geographical situtation in the centre of the Axarquía region, as well as its coastal position, gives it a large variety of panoramas. The main part of its lands extend over the basin of the Velez river, predominating the characteristic landscape of the Axarquía mountains, where the most outstanding element is the fertile plain. When the Guaro and Benamargosa rivers begin to widen the bottom of their valleys, before they join to form the Velez river, the surroundings of plots which descend to the coast also widen the field of vision of the municipality giving panoramas of great beauty, like the one from the road which goes from Torre del Mar to Velez Malaga, or spots of notable singularity such as the plots of Triana or the area of Trapiche.

When the valley of the Velez river exits to the coast, the agricultural surroundings widen at the delta of its mouth into sugar cane crops, a scenery which is each time scarcer in the coastal plots of the province of Malaga, but which used to be an outstanding element.

Next to the delta of the Velez river, is the forever extending popular city of Torre del Mar which although humble in its marine and agricultural origins, today, thanks to the touristic phenomena, has strongly transformed into the traditional image of the coast.

The coastal area has not only turned into Torre del Mar. The effects of the tourist phenomena have been felt from one point to the other of the Velez coast, and therefore, small nuclei like Chilches, Benajarafe, and Almayate, see anexes grow on the coast, where as others which already existed, such as Caleta de Velez, Mezquitilla or Lagos, are also growing and they all considerable transform the coastal landscape in which the small fertile plains fight for survival even if this is through green houses.

The Velez Malaga district enjoys a privileged enclave, which was already appreciated by the prehistoric inhabitants, remains of their presence have been found in the outskirts of the city.

It is possible that the first settlement was Iberian, later recuperated by the Phoenicians, and after consolidated by the Romans and Arabs. Presence of the Carthiginians has left an important mark near the mouth of the river Velez, in the Toscanos factory (8th to 6th century B.C.). Their inhabitants established themselves on a nearby hill, the Cerro del Peñon, a place where some authors situate the Greek city, Mainake, quoted by Estrabón, Avieno and Ptolomeo, among other.

During the Roman rule the area revitalized and was populated until the Low Empire era (Mainoba), but it was the Arabs who really gave Velez Malaga its importance. They established an urban nucleus which stood out for its strategic situation (it became one of the main defenses of the Granada kingdom) and also for its commerce and culture.

The conquest of Velez by Fernando el Cátolico was at the end of April 1487 and brings with it the despoilment of the Arab's lands to be given to the nobles who fought by king Fernando. This together with the prohibition to use their own language, religion and customs, and the tax rise applied to the Moorish population, caused the precarious peace which had arisen after the conquest to break into the Moorish uprise which lasted from 1560 to 1569. At the end, the Moors were defeated and expelled, and their lands were shared among the neighbour Christians.

The fort of Velez, which played an important part in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession, was left very damaged and its defensive importance wasn’t recuperated until the War of Independence against the French, when it was destroyed.

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Places to Visit

Among the many historical buildings to be visited in Velez Malaga, the most outstanding are the church of Santa Maria la Mayor, in Mudejar style, which was a mosque during the Arab rule, and the Municipal Palace, which dates from the 16th century, and in its time was the high court and the Granada captaincy.

It is also worth visiting the church of San Juan Bautista, with three bodies, whose Mudejar style was left deteriorated through later reforms which gives it a neo-classical air. It conserves a valuable baroque style altarpiece from the 15th century, attributed to Berruguete and also has outstanding carvings on the interior side of the doors.

The convent of San Francisco is important, founded by the Catholic kings, later erected in the Convento de Observantes, which is situated in what were the Jewish quarters of Velez-Malaga. The convent’s cloister is composed by Mudejar archways on the ground floor and arches on the top floor. The suburb with the same name arose around the convent, and which was first a residence for craftsmen and bourgeois and later for noblemen and royal officials, so there are still a few palaces and ancestral homes, such as the Plaza de las Carmelitas, and the Casa del Mercader.

There are historical references of the fort in Velez in the 13th century. Its mission was to guard the city and was endowed with a 16 metre tall tower, which is still standing. Only the tower, Torre del Homenaje, of the castle still remains and which has recently been restored.

The Paño de la Muralla forms part of the ancient walled complex. It contains a ceramic which reminds of the battle of the Azarquía in 1483.

It is also worth visiting the Convent of the Carmelites and the Claras, both from the 17th century; the parish church of San Juan, from the 16th century and reformed in the 19th century, which has a tower crowned by a pyramidal ceramic capital; the Convent of San Jose de la Soledad, very deteriorated but interesting for its mannerist facade from the 17th century; the chapel of the Remedios, from the 17th century, holds the patron saint of the city, and the rehabilitated palace of the marquis of Beniel, in Mudejar late Rennaisance style, with a magnificent coffering over the staircase gap.

The Villa is the original nucleus of the city, with an evidently Arabic rooted architecture. Of the four doors which gave access to the city, only two remain: the Real and the Antequera.

Near the first is the beautiful fountain of Fernando VI from 1758.

Ancient houses are still conserved, with three-storeys, yards, tower, archways, and roofs with large wooden eaves, probably built by people from Vizcaya and Asturias who arrived after the Catholic kings conquest.

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Shopping

It has earned fame for the pottery, two-handled jars, Velez earthenware pitcher, and Velez jug. There are also craftsmen who work with tin, cane, wicker, forging...

They also have canvas shoe making, and reedmace chairs for which knives and spring wheels are used. There are also cellars and warehouses for raisins.

In the commerces of Velez-Malaga and Torre del Mar there are products made by craftsmen who work with various materials.

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Gastronomy

The city and its influencial area offer a great gastronomic variety . The ‘ropa vieja’ is a variety of cabbage (potatoes, green beans, chick peas, pumpkin, aubergine, and meat, to which some add lard and pig’s snouts). The ‘ajoblanco’ which is a cold soup, can be found on many tables all along the Axarquía region.

The ‘ajoporro’ and ‘ajobacalao’ are typical dishes at Easter. The ‘maimones’, with fried garlic and soaked bread, boiled in water and sprinkled with sugar (there is a version in which onion, peppers and tomato are added). Regarding desserts, the most widespread are the ‘mostachones’ macaroons and the delicious ‘tortas de aceite’ oil cakes of Velez.

All these dishes can be accompanied by the area’s traditional wines.

In Torre del Mar, the typical dishes are the ‘migas’ breadcrumbs fried with garlic, ‘sopas cachorreñas’ spicy soups, and above all, for the tourist, is the fried fish.

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FESTIVITIES AND TRADITIONS

Between the end of April and beginning of May they celebrate the festivity of the Santa Cruz, in commemoration of the taking of Velez by Fernando El Catolico. On the 29th of September is San Miguel day, coinciding with the cattle fair.

For San Juan there is the Fiesta de Capuchinos, and on the 16th of July they pay hommage to the Virgin with the Veladilla del Carmen, with a marine procession in which fishing boats participate from all the area.

Easter is one of the most important festivities in Andalusia and in the last few years the Carnivals have gained vigour.

Flamenco can still be heard, although sporadically. The "malagueña de Vélez", is also known popularly as the "cante de Juan Breva".