Casa Andalucia: about the area
A lovely sunny house in unspoilt rural Andalucía – the coast (eastern Costa del Sol) is 20 minutes and beautiful Nerja is 40 minutes. Our village, Salto del Negro is near Velez Malaga and Benamargosa.
Contact: manitara@globalnet.co.uk
The local area: Axarquia
Axarquía is an area of Andalucia to the East of Malaga. The name comes from the Arabic ¨sharquiyya¨, meaning ¨the East”. The Mediterranean Sea is to the south, the Sierra de Tejeda and the Sierra de Almíjara to the east, the mountains and the Sierras de Camaroles, El Joba and Alhama to the north and to the west are the Montes de Málaga and the river Guadalmedina.
This central valley in the Axarquía area is protected by the mountains and with its subtropical, mild climate and very fertile soil allows an exotic abundance of fruit and produce to be grown: grapes, mangos, almonds, avocados, lemons and oranges, chirimoyas (custard apples) and nisperos (loquats). This rich agriculture is still part of everyday life here and supports a local working economy with its small industries such as metal and wood workers in the larger villages. There is also a strong active interest in the local community with fairs, fiestas and religious events. In the nearby village of Cutar the festival of ‘Monfi’ celebrates and remembers the 600 years of Arab rule in the area.
On the eastern side of the valley is the Sierra Tejeda with its highest mountain, La Maroma, which majestically rises to over two thousand meters above sea level. The Sierra provides fabulous hiking and walking country and is only the most westerly of several Sierras, including the famous Sierra Nevada with its extensive skiing and snowboarding facilities up to 3300 m above sea level.
About 20 minutes by car is Lake Viñuela, a large man-made reservoir, which is well stocked with fish and offers stunning views and non-motor water sports.
History
Andalucia is known to be one of the earliest settlement sites in Europe and was under Arab rule for many centuries. The world-famous palace of the Alhambra in Granada as well as the typical white villages bear witness to the sophisticated civilisation of those days.
Climate
With its remarkably mild winters and warm, sunny springs and to the Mediterranean just to the south, the Salto del Negro is a great place to spend your holidays all year round. The region offers so much - there is something for everyone:
active holidays with walking or mountain biking, horse riding, skiing and snowboarding in winter, all the water sports one could wish for, even a small local airport;
cultural visits to such famous cities as Granada, Córdoba or Seville, all within a couple of hours drive;
or just enjoy the relaxation of the beach, soaking up the sunshine and sampling a glass of 'tinto' and the excellent and cheap cuisine in one of the many bars and restaurants.
Weather
15 day forecast from AccuWeather
"The Andalucian people have pleasure and enjoyment in the blood, and they take advantage of any opportunity to celebrate! Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a big event at Easter, as are the Romerías, or horse fairs in May and June. August is also a time of celebration in most parts of Andalucia. But there are various celebrations throughout the year such as the Day of the Vine or village festivals which have their roots in Andalucia´s arabic foundations."
