Arenas, which was once known as Arenas del Rey in honour of Fernando el Catolico, is the start of the Ruta Mudejar which runs through 5 towns in the Axarquia comarca. It is situated in the Bentomiz sierra at an altitude of just over 400m above sea level.
Like many of the other places in the Axarquia region, Arenas's Arabic heritage can easily be seen in the town centre: Narrow, steep winding streets, and houses on different levels that are decorated with colourful flowerpots and containers. The town used to be split into three areas: The Barrio Alto (Also known as Alto del Lugar) is where the craftsmen once lived, the town centre was occupied by the wealthy and the Barrio Bajo (also known as Cantarranas) was where the poorer people lived.
Something that is particularly impressive in the town centre is the Iglesia de Santa Catalina (Saint Catalina Church) that was built on top of an ancient mosque in the 16th century and still has the remains of a Mudejar minaret tower. As well as this, at the town entrance there is an old oil mill, and, a ceramic mural put together by the important artist, Virgilio Gonzalez. To the south of the town, still on the Bentomiz hill, you can find the ruins of a fort whose origins are still not clear. Some people think that the Romans built it, others believe it is an Arabic construction, and there are even some researchers who say that the castle is Iberian.
Fans of hiking have 2 main routes to choose from: The first goes around the edge of the Bentomiz hill and the second goes along the Alto hill, next to the Arroyo de Salares.
It is recommended to visit a nearby hamlet called Daimalos where you'll find two pieces of 17th century architecture: an Arab fountain and a minaret, believed to be the oldest in the area, that is now used as the bell tower for the Parish Church.
Turning our attention to food, the locals are known for their chivo frito con salsa de almendras (fried lamb with almond sauce) and for their migas con aceitunas y arenques (friend bread crumbs served with olives and herring), all to be enjoyed with a glass of their renowned vino dulce (sweet wine). Other plates you may want to try in Arenas are the gazpacho (cold soup), known as colorao or picao, its potajes de garbanzos o de hinojos con habichuelas blancas (chickpea or fennel stew served with beans), or its arroz y tropezones de chorizo (rice with chops of chorizo).
Arenas has a few fiestas such as the Feria de la Mula (Mules fair), celebrated on 12 October with the intention of honouring and protecting this equine species. There is also the Feria y Fiesta en honor a Santa Catalina y San Sebastián on 10 and 12 of August respectively. In Arenas, the traditional La Candelaria is celebrated in September and the Carnivals take place in February.
Arenas is about 44km from the Malaga City and about 10km from Velez-Malaga.
Min: 21C