We were woken in the early hours of the morning by blinding flashes of lightning and heavy rumbles of thunder and then it poured. It looked like being one of those rare days when we would be stuck indoors or at least not be able to stray far from home, but as so often happens in the wonderful part of the world the clouds soon cleared, revealing brilliant blue skies and a perfect, fresh, warm day, ideal for an outing.
From my Spanish lessons I knew that the word ‘velez’ meant old and initially I had simply assumed that Velez Malaga was the old part of Malaga. In actual fact it is some distance away from Malaga, northwards up the E15/A7 motorway and having passed the turnoff several times on our way somewhere else and having added it to our ever increasing list of places to visit, we decided that now was the moment and that we really should take a look.
In a sense my first assumption may have been correct. Known locally simply as Velez, the town, situated in the wide, luxuriant valley of the Rio Velez, about a kilometre inland from Torre del Mar on the Costa del Sol, used to be a bastion protecting the region from invaders, the restored 13th Century Fortaleza or fort on top of a hill commanding far reaching views, providing an ideal spot to protect the old Malaga region.
The area was once inhabited by the Carthaginians and apparently a Greek settlement called Mainake existed there. The Romans took over, destroyed it and then rebuilt their own settlement called Menoba, before the Moors took over, ruling for hundreds of years before King Ferdinand V raised the Christian flag, instigated the Inquisition and dispatched Christopher Columbus in search of the New World.
We parked our car near the very modern Teatro del Carmen and took a stroll through Arrabal de San Sebastián the oldest part of town, where architectural evidence gave a distinct feel of walking back through the ages, a time that relatively speaking seemed not that long ago. We climbed past the Iglesia de Santa Maria and then followed the road to the fort of top of the hill, with its lovely gardens and sweeping views in all directions, including on one side the Mediterranean Ocean in the distance. Then we tumbled down a series of steep, narrow staircases to the Plaza de la Constitución near where we had started, continuing into the more modern part of town and passing beneath the imposing arched entrance to the lovely Parque de Andalucia, before slipping into a lively bar for a quick tapas and a well earned ice cold beer. That led to another as is often the case with delicious tapas.
Very Spanish, full of character and most relaxing, the town of Velez Malaga could be an ideal place for someone wishing to combine an experience of the ‘real Spain’ in the inland part of Andalucia with the busier, more ‘cosmopolitan’ attractions of the very nearby seaside. We had planned to take a ride to the beach on the tramway, which unfortunately was in the throws of maintenance or reconstruction, although in time this will once again be open. And should you choose to spend a few nights there, you would be hard pressed to beat a recently opened boutique hotel with incredible facilities and a rooftop terrace with stunning views (click here for details).
Worthy of note too is that the town is famous for its high quality olive oil, mouth-watering fresh produce and the muscatel grape, which is used to make Malagueñan wine. Special events include an annual guitar festival in July with free concerts taking place on the patio of the Palacio del Marqués de Beniel. Perhaps one day we will be there to see it.
It is easy to reach Velez Malaga, the roads are well signposted, both on the approach and within the town itself, and there are public parking facilities available. For a day’s excursion or a longer immersion in the authentic Andalucian way of life, Velez Malaga may be an exciting new option.