View of the Plaza
de la Fuente |
There are two ways to get to Periana. One can take
the road through the Mountains of Malaga, a winding country road that passes
through Colmenar to bring us to Periana. The second is the most suitable if
we leave from the Axarquía, since it starts from Vélez, bringing us by the
Viñuela road and the Puente de Don Manuel cross roads, where we turn to the
left and follow the route to the town. The
municipality is in a privileged position in the Axarquía region, in a
valley surrounded by hills with an abundance of water that feeds the
cultivated plots below. This has created a micro-climate that has attracted
settlers from pre-historic times. We know this from remains found in the
Cerro de la Alcolea, at 731 metres above sea level and facing Mondrón; the
Neolithic site at the Cerro del Fuerte and the Marchamonas area, situated to
the north of Periana. During the Moorish
domination, hamlets like Mondrón and the Baños de Vilo existed in what is
now the urban centre, and the water from these baths was used for medicinal
purposes. At that time Periana was probably a farmhouse that grew into a
series of defensive fortresses, one on the hill of Santana and another more
southerly in a place called Pereiro, the origin of the town’s present-day
name. But it was not until the end of the 18th century, in 1761
to be exact, that the area became an independent municipality. Until then it
had been under the jurisdiction of Vélez, and in an even earlier period, of
Riogordo. With independence came the conversion of the hermitage into a
parish church. An earthquake in 1884 destroyed a large part of the town, and
it was subsequently re-constructed with aid from the rest of the country and
abroad. In
our time Periana is a prospering agricultural town, famous for its olive oil
and peaches. In fact, its annual peach festival is considered to be one of
the best of its kind in Spain.
Places
to be visited
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Church
of San Isidro
The Church of San Isidro is the most important building in the
town. It was built after the earthquake in 1885, as
re-construction work was going on around it. The style is a
mixture of neo-Mudejar, built in three naves and dressed in brick
on the outside.
Interesting routes
Periana extends in a fan shape over the foot of the Sierra de
Alhama mountain range. The most interesting of its narrow and
twisting streets are calle Pablo Ruiz Picasso and calle Rosales,
and the streets surrounding the Fountain of San Isidro, like the
passageway of La Cuca. Most of the houses are of one or two
storeys, whitewashed on the outside, although there are some
bigger family homes from the 18th century in the Plaza
del Ayuntamiento. Another interesting plaza is La Lomilleja, to be
found at the entrance to the urban centre on a rise that provides
wonderful views over the valley and the reservoir of La Viñuela.
Baños de Vilo Spa
These baths are now under re-construction, in the hamlet of the
same name. Baños de Vilo, at just 2,5 kilometres from Periana,
and the sulphuric, medicinal waters attract people to the place.
It is not known how far the baths date from, although many people
came here for health reasons during the second half of the 18th
century. In 1828 a type of boarding house was built nearby, and a
bathing house. Later problems of ownership – the Town Halls of
Vélez and Periana claiming ownership - resulted in the buildings
being abandoned, but at the end of the 19th century the
then owner, Emilio de San Martín, carried out reforms on the
place. A storm in 1907 destroyed what had been done, and it was
not until the 1990s that the Town Hall acquired the spa and began
to work on the structure once more.
Olive Oil Museum. Mondrón.
Tel: 952 537 915.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante de
la Villa Turística. Tel: 952 536 222
Bar Cuenca (Mondrón). Tel:
952 537 842
Bar Hrnos. Moreno (Mondrón)
Tel: 952 537 837
Bar Verdugo. Paseo Buenavista
37. Periana. Tel: 952 536 069
Bar Barrancos. Camino de
Vélez, 37. Periana. Tel: 952 536 143
Mesón Rincón. Paseo
Buenavista. Periana. Tel: 952 536 455
Taberna Casa Esparraguito.
Situated in Los Baños de Vilo, at only 200 metres from the spa.
Here one can have wines and tapas of the region, with other dishes
available on reservation. These might include asparagus soup,
rabbit in garlic, rice broth or other local delicacies for which
the town has become well known. Baños de Vilo, s/n. Tel: 952 536
257.
Bars
El Alambique. Camino de
Vélez, 12. Periana. Tel: 952 536 021. Old aguardiente factory
that used traditional methods of production.
Disco-Pub Kaya. Coffee, drinks
and imported beers, as well as international cocktails.
Disc-jockey at weekends. Open every day from 12 noon. Paseo
Bellavista,14.
Leoncio. Camino de Vélez, 32.
Periana. Tel: 952 536 047.
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| Where
to sleep |
Villa
Turística de la Axarquía. Situated on the laneway
to the Cortijo Blanco, three kilometres from Periana. From here
there are beautiful views over the reservoir of La Viñuela and
the surrounding mountains. There are 14 double bedrooms complete
with private bathrooms, six house/apartments with bedroom,
bathroom and terrace, and 20 house/apartments with two bedrooms,
two bathrooms and terrace. All have satellite television, mini
bars, air conditioning and central heating. The Villa also has a
reception area, cafeteria and bar, two conference rooms, a
restaurant, shop, swimming pool, two tennis courts, gardens and an
ecological plot. One can practice many sporting activities,
including four by four excursions, riding, cycling and trekking.
Telephone and Fax 952 53 62 22.
Conjunto Rural La Jara.
Situated 1,500 metres from the town, on the station road. Tel: 952
522 389.
Rural accommodation and farmhouses.
Alquiler Axarquía Rural (Periana) Tel: 952 536 460.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
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The Festival of San
Isidro Labrador |
FIESTAS
The festive calendar in Periana begins at
the end of March with the Día del Aceite Verdial, which was recently
inaugurated with the aim of making the olive oil extracted from the Olivo
Verdial in the Periana area better known. These olive trees are centuries
old and produce an oil that is golden coloured and with a uniquely sweet
flavour.
The Feria of San Isidro, patron saint of the town, takes place from May 14th
to 16th, a festival in which the saint’s image is carried
through the streets in procession and the people of the place throw
flowers and wheat from the balconies. There are also games, dancing and
music, and a romería in the countryside with food for all.
Another popular festival is the Feria del
Melocotón, taking place on the third weekend in August. All who
participate in the festival are awarded with a peach from the locality.
Periana is an excellent place to practice riding, trekking and nautical
sports, or to simply stay in and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
GASTRONOY
The gastronomy of Periana is
mainly the broths made with cod, the asparagus soup, the gazpachos,
salads, fried breadcrumbs, mushrooms and almond sauces. A speciality of
the area is the parpucha, as the cod in honey omelettes are known. Pork
and its derivatives are important in the local cuisine too, and all these
dishes are prepared in olive oil produced locally. For dessert, there is
nothing quite as delicious as the peaches of the area, along with other
fruits like pears and oranges, or the excellent sheep and goat cheeses
that are made locally.
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