The Axarquía region is located at the eastern part of Málaga and represents a fascinating mix of inland mountains with the old world of white Arabic villages and the buzzing partly tasteless touristic madhouse of the coast.

It is the inland which gives the region its strong character and creates the traditional essence which is so clearly reflected in the local cuisine. The peculiar climate makes Axarquía to one of the few territories on the continent where subtropical fruit thrives. Mango, avocado, cherimoya and papaya are amongst the most popular products of the unique agricultural conditions of this region. Add to that almonds, honey, sweet wine and first of all the naturally sun-dried raisins from the Moscatel grapes giving the villages their wonderfull ubiquitous scent in autumn and you will get an amazing mixture of flavours.

Among the most popular dishes of this region you will find:

• Ajoblanco from Almáchar – cold soup with almonds
• Ajobacalao from Velez-Málaga – salt cod spread
• Fried squash from Iznate
• Maimones Soup – the simple bread soup
• Avocado and tomato salad from Macharaviaya
• The cachorreña garlic soup
• Lamb stew of Alcaucín
• Kid goat with almond sauce
• Kid goat with garlic
• The fennel casserole
• Rabbit stew with Borge wine
• Nispero jam from Sayalonga
• Peach jam
• Porridge with sugar cane honey
• Algarrobo cake

For the fans of gastronomical routes there are few interesting ones in Axarquía:

The route of sun and wine visits the impressive villages of Torrox, Algarrobo, Sayalonga, Competa, Canillas de Albaida, the coastal ostentatious Nerja and the picturesque Frigiliana. It also travels along a stretch of coast through which we will pass by cliffs and small bays with beautiful wild beaches where you can relax and rest after having visited wineries of Muscat wines and having tasted the wines of the towns of Competa, Moclinejo or Frigiliana.

The route of the raisin takes you to the raisin paradise of the villages of Moclinejo, Almáchar, El Borge, Cútar, Comares and Totalán and let you taste the best muscatel raisins in the world. In this route, you will learn the simple process of the elaboration of the raisins. The villages have kept their Arabic charm.

The route of the mountains and oil runs through the municipalities of Viñuela, Alcaucín, Periana, Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo, Colmenar and Riogordo. A route with unique mountain landscapes where the traveller enjoys the ancient ecosystem of the white villages and the olive trees with their rough olive juice as the locals call the oil.

Nice surprises await you also in Colmenar with its goat meat and local salami, in Periana with the famous peaches, the Roman bread in Alcaucín, the snails and olive oil cakes in Riogordo, or the gazpacho in Alfarnatejo.