Archeological remains in the municipality

Alfarnatejo is a beautiful little place in the northern part of the Axarquía, 36.5 kms from Vélez. Being so high above sea level, there it is a wonderful contrast in this area between the stone and the humid vegetation, and the place has earned itself the name of "The Pyrenees of the South". Surrounding the town 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 a unique area of Malaga province, with its mountain terrain and its distance from the capital making it an ideal hide-away for bandits in the end of the 19th century.
The urban centre, where only 500 people live, makes for an agreeable and tranquil life-style, where all the streets are of some interest to visitors. The most interesting building in the town, nevertheless, is the parish church of Santo Cristo de la Cabrilla. Around the town we also have the most spectacular cliffs of the province, those of Gómer, Doña Ana and Alto del Fraile. The road from Colmenar to Alfarnatejo - the regional 340 - offers a wide range of colour in its oak, cereal and olive trees. We can also see from here, high in the mountains that extend to the Sierra de Tejeda, small white farmhouses in the distance. The history of the area goes back a very long way, to prehistoric times. A number of Neolithic remains have been found in the River Sabar gorge, and to the south, in the 1,129 metre-high Gómer cliffs, domestic objects in use - according to the archaeologists - some 5,000 years ago 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 original town was probably a farmhouse that grew into an urban centre in Moorish times, beside the Sabar castle whose ruins are still evident on the peak of the Alto del Fraile.

Places to be visited

The Route of the Cliffs Of the cliff landscape in this area, the Tajo de Gómer is the most spectacular, and here in the mountains one can see the eagles and hawks that inhabit the region. As we travel along the road mentioned above, the cliffs take on differing and exciting shapes. Arriving at the Venta de Alfarnate we turn right in the direction of the town, with the route following the course of the Sabar river to the right, the town itself being on the left. The river tumbles through canyons on its way past the olive and oak groves, making for a really beautiful sight. The Tajo de Doña Ana is right beside the river, almost cutting its course, and looks like a monstrous sentinel on the horizon. It is an enormous piece of rock, warm coloured and almost vertical, reaching to 1,118 metres in height. The road widens to allow us to park, and from here we can view the cliffs at leisure. Other monuments and archeological remains The parish church of Santo Cristo de Cabrilla stands out from the other buildings in the town. It was built in the 18th century in a simple rectangular structure traditional to the period, with two naves separated by semicircular arches. The square tower was built of fired bricks in the Mudejar style. The most important of the archeological remains around Alfarnatejo are to be found outside the town near the Tajo de Gómar, these being the ruins of the old Moorish castle. Important Neolithic remains have also been discovered in the River Sabar gorge, dating back some 5,000 years. 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.

Where to eat

Los Pirineos de la Costa del Sol. Specialising in kid and bread crumbs. C/ Padre Arzaiz,1. Tel: 952 759 333. Venta San Miguel. Home cooking. C/Puentesabar .Tel: 952 111 742. Venta La Fuente. Home cooking. Pulgarín .Tel: 952 031 050. Bar Pascual. C/Real, 11. Tapas and home cooking. Tel: 952 759 313. Bar Barroso. Tapas. Pza. de la Constitución, 6 .Tel: 952 759 321.

Where to sleep

Rural accommodation Cortijo Pulgarín Bajo. A farmhouse converted to rural tourism five kilometres from the town, in the heart of the mountains. It consists of two housing units with capacity for five and eight people. Tel: 952 462 305. Internet Casa rural Francisco Molina. Tel: 952 462 305. Casa rural Antonio and José Alés. Tel: 952 732 209/10. Casa rural José Alba. Tel: 952 111 011. Casa rural Tío José. Tel: 952 732 512. Rural Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in Spanish)

Parish church of Santo Cristo de Cabrilla

FIESTAS
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, all quite apart from the purely religious aspects of the festival. The most important of these is the procession of San Miguel and Santo Cristo de la Cabrilla, one of the few in which no sculptured images are carried, the image being painted on a large canvas.

GASTRONOMY
The best way to sample the excellent gastronomy of the area is to head for one of the tapas bars and have the home-made pork dishes, such as sausage or pudding. This should be followed by a plate of kid fried in garlic, bread crumbs, or mushrooms. For soup lovers, Alfarnatejo offers its very savoury chickpea stew, really exquisite. For those who like a lighter meal, there is the watercress or hard-boiled egg salad with mint and garlic. And for dessert, nothing beats the traditional San Marco doughnuts.

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