The 5 most beautiful villages of the Axarquía in Malaga

La Axarquía is one of the regions of the Spanish province that covers both coastal and inland areas, but what arouses the greatest interest is the picturesque inland towns. With around 30 municipalities and more than 70 towns in the Axarquía region of Malaga, this area of the province has been increasing in popularity and tourism in recent years.

Choosing the 5 most beautiful towns in the Axarquía is not an easy task since there are many of them and each one has a different essence and interest. Even so, we will talk about the towns of the Malaga Axarquía that you should visit for their landscape and history.

Comares, a historic town

This small town was for years the capital of the entire Axarquía region, which is why there are different historical architectures that you must visit.

Puerta de Málaga: As we have already mentioned, it is one of the most important towns in the Axarquía region of Malaga due to its past as Capital. During the years that it was, this and the door of Vélez Málaga were the only entrance to the Castle of Comares.
Comares Castle: small but picturesque, in the highest area of the town we can find this historic corner.
Calle del Perdón: this town was one of the most important in the Muslim occupation and, when it was recovered by the Christians, it was on this street that the Muslim families who stayed there were baptized.

Cómpeta, the “crossroads”

Among the towns of the Axarquía in Malaga we find Cómpeta, which due to its original meaning symbolizes the crossroads. In it we can enjoy:

Axarquía Cathedral: located in the central square of the town and surrounded by buildings that preserve their original facades is this small cathedral that, despite being small, is interesting to visit.
Walk of traditions: it is a walk of tiles where some of the most important historical moments of the town are collected.
Hanging houses: being a town surrounded by mountain landscapes, the villagers have taken advantage of it and have built their homes on the stones, resembling “hanging houses”.

Frigiliana, looking towards the sea

Closer to the coast than the previous towns in the Axarquia of Malaga we find Frigiliana, which has gained great popularity in recent years for its incredible white houses and blue doors.

La Calle Real: one of the most important and picturesque in the town where you can take the best photos and videos touring the town.
Palace of the Counts: it is one of the most instagrammable points since you will be able to see the views of the most atmospheric and largest square in the town.
Viewpoints: it is one of the most important points in the towns of the Axarquía in Malagueña since they are surrounded by nature and Frigiliana is one of the towns with the best viewpoints.

Periana, the town of archer origin

Regarding the history of the name of this town in the Axarquía of Malagueña, it responds to the existence of two large farmhouses of the time called “Pereira” and “Santana”, from which Periana arose. With great Muslim history, we can see:

Church of San Isidro Labrador: a beautiful Church of the patron saint of the town that was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1884.
Baños de Vilo: Periana stands out for the great abundance of water that it has and that the Muslims used to make baths, being the Baños del Vilo one of them.
San Isidro Fountain: water is once again the protagonist and we find this fountain that receives the name of San Isidro, which has a beautiful appearance.

Canillas del aceituno, a name with spoilers

Many of the names of the towns in the Axarquía of Malagueña are of Arab origin and are also closely related to what he contributes. This is a clear example since it comes from “Caniles” (mines or galleries existing in the town) and “Acceitun” (because of the large number of olive trees there are). In addition to olive trees and caves, we can see:

The suspension bridge of El Saltillo is one of the main and incredible attractions that you can see in Canillas del Aceituno.
Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario and San León Magno: a long name for a very pretty little church.
Casa de la Reina Mora: building where the town hall is currently housed and where in ancient times it was the point of sale for silkworms and their food, the mulberry leaf.
Medieval cistern: once again, water becomes important in the towns of the Axarquía in Malaga, finding this small cistern.

Now that you know the 5 most beautiful and interesting towns in the Axarquía of Malaga, we invite you to continue discovering other of the incredible regions of the province where you can find other attractions and points of general interest, such as El Caminito del Rey. If you don’t know where to stay, at the La Garganta hotel we will be happy to receive you!