When you hear people say 'The Real Spain' you cannot get any more real than Alfarnatejo in Southern Spain.
These are the 2 closest villages to the Villa Alta Mobile Home development, Alfarnatejo is only a 10 min walk and Alfarnate a little further. To learn about more villages in and around the Axarquia go here.
Alfarnatejo is a beautiful small village in the northern part of the Axarquía in Spain and only 45 minutes from Malaga International Airport. Being so high above sea level there 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.
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The Village of Alfarnatejo
Alfarnatejo is is a 10 minute walk to the Villa Alta Development and is a country lovers paradise, being 900 meters above sea level the air is fresh and clean, the locals are very friendly and welcome their new neighbours of the mobile home residential park, afterall we do add to their economy, the whole atmosphere is laid back, this is truly the real Spain.
The village itself has a population of 500 people although a new expansion plan involves the building of an additional 500 villas on the outskirts, this cannot be added to as the area is protected, this is great news for villagers and Villa Alta residents alike as this will bring more infrastructure and facilities to the whole area but at the same time not impose on the beauty and natural charm.
There are four tapas bar restaurants, a Santander bank, the town hall, a doctor who speaks English and typical small "doorway shops" for provisions, there is also a park area and community centre, the park has a variety of outdoor exercise machines which are free to use for everyone.
The village of Alfarnatejo, makes for an agreeable and tranquil life style, all the streets are of some interest to visitors, in fact the village is visited by tourists on the "tour of the White Villages Route" a lot of the locals invite the tourists into their houses they are so welcoming, 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, objects some 5000 years old 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.
Surrounding the town and the Villa Alta Development 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.
Around the area the Saber river tumbles through canyons on its way past the olive and oak groves, a really beautiful sight. There is the Tajo de Doña Ana is right beside the river, almost cutting its course, it 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.
FESTIVALS
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 old coachouse at the entrance to the village, (pictured) was the last stop and last supper supper for prisoners on their final journey to Malaga to face the gallows !! Now it's a lovely restaurant and venta, very busy at weekends and holidays as many people from Malaga visit for the excellent food for which it is renowned.
The best way to sample the excellent gastronomy 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 or for meat lovers there's a terrific choice of grilled steaks,kebabs and chops, Alfarnatejo offers its very own savoury chickpea stew, really exquisite. For those who like a lighter meal, there are beautiful salads made with local fresh produce and for dessert, nothing beats the traditional San Marco doughnuts.
When you hear people say 'The Real Spain' you cannot get any more real than Alfarnatejo.
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