Typical streets in
Arenas |
Arenas is in the Axarquía, only 10 kilometres from
Vélez-Málaga. To get there
one takes the comarcal 117 out of Vélez, then heads up the winding
mountain road to Arenas,
right in the heart of the Bentomiz mountains. Along the
way one can see the beautiful panoramic landscape to the sea, and half
way there - at the venta
El Palomar - one enters the municipality of Arenas. Behind
us is the old Roman roadway dating from the first century B.C., which
linked Arenas to the
coast. This old road ran parallel to the river Seco, on the
right-hand bank. Further on we reach a group of farm-houses where, in
times gone by, the
mulateers transporting raisins, wines and silks from Arenas
to Torre del Mar rested. These products eventually reached the rest
of Europe and the Far
East. The Morisco origin of the town itself is evident in
the narrow and winding streets. There is an ancient olive mill and a
mural made by the
prestigious ceramist Virgilio González at the entrance to the
town. The centre itself is all narrow streets, plazas and typical
Morisco-style corners
adorned with flowers and potted plants. There are three
different areas to the town: the Barrio Alto or "Alto del Lugar",
where the craftsmen,
ceramists and blacksmiths live; the urban centre where the
more well-off residents of the town live, an area in which one can see
the Town Hall building and
the square containing the12th century church-mosque,
and the Barrio Bajo or "Cantarranas" where the more humble
workers of the town live.
The town is 416 metres
above sea level, and from any point in it one can see the
hill of Bentomiz, with its ancient fortifications in ruins. Many
visitors make the trip to
the peak on mules or on foot, and from there one can
see over the entire coastline into Africa.
Places
to be visited
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Church
of Santa Catalina
This is a Mudejar-style building that dates from the 16th century,
the present church built on the
ruins of a mosque. It was badly damaged in a fire
in 1926. On the outside one can see the minaret tower on its
square base, originally in
three sections, but following modifications made after the
fire in 1926, reduced to two. The second section opens up into
semicircular arches.
Daimalos area and surroundings
The Daimalos area is close to the town, and there very good
quality wines are made. There
are two 12th century remains here: a Moorish fountain and a
minaret believed to be the oldest of
the Merini period. The parish church, built
over an old mosque, has a single nave, and its minaret was
converted into a bell-tower by
the Christians. The town centre is typical of others in
the region: low houses on steep and narrow streets, all leading to
the church square, which is
also built on an incline. Trekking
is a popular activity for people that visit Arenas. There are two
routes, one of which takes us to the
base of the Bentomiz hill and the other leading
up towards the Cerro Alto, beside the Salares stream.
The Bentomiz Fortress
The Fortress of Bentomiz was built on the top of the hill of the
same name, to the south of the
town of Arenas. It is believed to pre-date Moorish times,
the Moors converting the building they found into a magnificent
fortress. The remains show the
existence of Romans here at one time, as much as
Moors. King Fernando The Catholic left the defence of the town in
the hands of the Moriscos, but
following the rebellion of 1569, in which the Moriscos
pledged allegiance to Aben Humeya, the Christians took over the
fortress to use in defence of the
mountains and coast. Close to the fortress are
the remains of an ancient wall and an octagonal tower.
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| Where
to eat |
Bar Pepe
Juanete.e. Specialising in kid, callos (pig¹s trotters
and snouts with chickpeas) and
gazpacho. Avda. Fdez. Ramos. Tel: 952 509 086.
Bar El Gato. Specialising in
traditional cooking. C/La Fuente. Tel: 952 509 107. |
| Where
to sleep |
Cortijo
Bentomiz. Tel: 952 276 229.
Cortijo Angel. Tel: 952 542
058.
Casa Fuente del Amor. Tel: 952
542 058.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
A corner with flowers
and the church in the background |
FIESTAS
The festivals in Arenas begin in February with the carnival which, after
many years of being banned, has now come back in force all over Spain. It
is
the perfect opportunity for the ordinary people to take to the streets and
have fun, dressing up or down as they wish, and singing songs that are
caustic comments on the political and social life of the time. Other local
festivals of lesser importance take place right through the year
until August, when the annual feria in honour of the patron saints of the
town, Santa Catalina and San Sebastián, take place. The saints¹ days are
August 10th and 12th, and in and around these days the entire town turns
out
to enjoys a few days and nights of dancing in the streets and other
cultural
activities. The festival of the Candelaria takes place on September 7th
and
8th, in which bonfires are lit in the countryside and the boys of the area
present the girls with chestnuts and aniseed liqueur, and following the
old
tradition, sing verdiales and fandangos to the
beating of drums.
DAY OF THE MULE
The residents of
Arenas have organised an annual festival called the Día de la
Mula, the Day of the Mule, in defence of that humble animal. It is scheduled
for October 12th, and has been running for the past four years. In it,
various tasks are performed by the mules and their handlers, the mulateers,
such as dragging loads of firewood along the ground. The programme
includes the recently organised Meeting of Wine Vinegar makers.
GASTRONOY
The main
speciality of Arenas cuisine is the fried kid with almond sauce,
and the fried
breadcrumbs with olives and herring, all washed down with one
of the delicious sweet
wines of the area. The local gazpacho soup is known as
the "colorao", its ingredients being chopped fine rather than
ground. The
main dish is usually a type of stew called "cavaores", made with
chickpeas and yellow
rice, and at Easter made with chickpeas, cod and beans. Another
popular dish is the fennel stew with white kidney-beans, rice and
chopped salami sausage.
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