What to see in Velez Malaga – 16 key places not to be missed
A heritage to discover !
Visit Velez-Malaga, the capital of Axarquía, and its 3000 years of history
In this article you will find the essential information to visit and see the best of Velez-Malaga :
- A few words about Velez Malaga
- The origins of the town
- What to see in Velez Malaga?
- What to do in Velez Malaga
- Activities
- Guided tours
- ferias and fiestas
- Where is Velez-Malaga?
- Book accommodation
- Some useful links
- Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga
A few words about Velez Malaga
Velez-Malaga is the capital of Axarquia in the province of Malaga. It is located 40km from Málaga, which is considered the big sister.
Velez-Malaga is a small and somewhat forgotten town, despite its incredible historical and cultural heritage, with 3000 years of history.
The origins of Velez-Malaga
Originally, almost 3000 years ago, Velez-Malaga was a Phoenician village.
Later it became a Roman town under the name of Maenoba.
After the Romans and the Visigoths, it took the name of Bâllish or Ballix Malaca during the period of Al-Andalus.
In 1487, following the conquest of the city by the Catholic kings, Abul Kasim, the last mayor of Velez Malaga under the Nasrid kingdom, handed over the keys of the city to the first Catholic mayor of the city, Diego Arias. All the mosques were converted into churches, convents or palaces.
2 other dates in the history of Velez-Malaga
24th August 1704
The biggest and most deadly naval battle in history took place in Velez-Malaga, more precisely in front of the beach of Torre del Mar.
At the beginning of August 1704, the English seized Gibraltar (20 days earlier). The Spanish galleys and French ships faced the Anglo-Dutch fleet on that day. For more details of this battle, see the page dedicated to Torre del Mar.
9th March 1810
On this day the King of Spain (and also King of Italy) …. Joseph Bonaparte visited.
He was appointed King of Spain by his younger brother Napoleon Bonaparte. His visit to the city would later cause rebellions, which prevented the Napoleonic army from pacifying the area.
Joseph Bonaparte was not a real leader or warlord like his brother… His reason for coming to Velez was to discover the sugar cane crops of the region!
Nowadays
Velez-Malaga is today the European capital for the cultivation of tropical fruits. The main crops are mango and avocado. However, all around Velez you can taste papayas, pitayas, maracujas, litchis… about thirty different tropical fruits.
In the following link you will find almost all the tropical fruits grown in Axarquia.
What to see in Velez Malaga?
- What can you see in Velez Malaga?
- A curious obelisk in the heart of the historic centre
- The Alcazaba Fortaleza
- Convent of San Francisco
- The church of Santa Maria Mayor de la Encarnacion
- The walls of the old Medina
- On the heights of the city
- The Puerta Real
- The old granary
- The palace of the Marquises of Beniel
- The mihrab
- Sculptures in the city centre
- The church of St John the Baptist
- The MVVEL – Museum of Velez Malaga
- The Carmelite Convent
- The Teatro del Carmen
- Hermitage of the Virgen de los Remedios
- Cervantes and Velez Malaga
- Worth seeing near Velez Malaga
The historic centre of Velez Malaga is an invitation to travel back in time.
An obelisk to see in Velez-Malaga
The Alcazaba Fortaleza an essential place to see in Velez Malaga
It was one of the most important fortresses of the Nazarite kingdom of Granada. There is little left from that time. It was partially destroyed by Napoleonic troops. And it was then used as a lime quarry for a long time. However, it is worth a visit. It also offers a magnificent panoramic view.
The convent of San Francisco.
This is a beautiful monument.
Its current bell tower is part of the old minaret, from the time when this convent was a mosque.
Below, another photo of the bell tower…just because this perspective is quite curious.
The iglesia of Santa Maria Mayor de la Encarnacion
It was built at the end of the 15th century on the site of the old Aljama mosque.
This church is absolutely beautiful and dominates the city.
This is a beautiful church that dominates the city. Inside you will find the curious Semana Santa museum.
The wall of the old Medina
It has been beautifully restored and is integrated into the historic center.
On the heights of the city
This is a wonderful walk to get an overview of Velez Malaga and the surrounding area.
This walk will take you from the city center to Fortaleza-Alcazaba while enjoying the panorama
The Puerta Real
It is the only gateway to the ancient medina that remains from the time of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
After passing through this gate, we find ourselves in the old Medina, with the street of water:
The palace of the Marquis of Beniel
This palace is the most important civil building in the city. Today it houses the Maria Zembrano Foundation. In front of the palace there is a life-size statue of Cervantes (which you will see a little further down).
The mihrab
is a niche in a wall that is used to indicate the qibla – the direction of the kaaba in Mecca. It allowed the Muslim faithful of the time to indicate the direction of the prayer. This mihrab has remained in good condition to this day.
This mihrab was originally part of an old small mosque from the 14th century. It has probably been miraculously preserved because it was part of an inhabited house after the reconquest.
The sculptures in the city center, little treasures to see in Velez Malaga
The city of Velez-Malaga offers an infinite variety of sculptures to discover among its streets and alleys. Very often, there is information on the sculpture and its author.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist
Here is another very beautiful church in Velez-Malaga.
I particularly like entering this church through a side door, several centuries old:
Like the other churches, it was built over a former mosque. Below is a very partial view of its bell tower.
The old Posito, the city’s granary
It is located right next to the Saint Jean Baptiste church.
The MVVEL – Museum of Velez Malaga –
The MMVEL is the city’s museum, housed in the former Saint John of God hospital. This building is really beautiful. The exhibitions, both permanent and seasonal, are of great quality.
You will find a photo and the opening hours in this link.
The Carmelite Convent
It is located opposite the town hall. And right next to it, there is the Toto café-bar, which will be a very nice place to have a coffee and admire this convent.
NB: 200 metres away, there is an exceptional bakery, perhaps the best in the province of Malaga. It is the Juanito bakery. This baker supplies prestigious restaurants in Madrid and Marbella.
The Teatro del Carmen
This theatre is located in an unusual place, in the former Convent of San José de la Soledad.
It is a convent founded in 1591 by the order of Discalced Carmelites (Carmelitas Descalzos). The church was converted into a theatre in 1984.
At the foot of the theater, you can see a very beautiful “modern” menina by Velazquez. In the square, you will also find a very beautiful sculpture by Juan Breva, the immense flamenco artist.
The Ermita de la Virgen de los Remedios
This little church is worth a stop. It is located on a promontory which allows you to see a superb 360 degree panorama:
This small church is worth a stop. It would be a real shame to miss the fabulous and curious paintings by the painter Evaristo Guerra.
In the following link you will find all the information about the hermitage of the Virgen de los Remedios.
Cervantes and Velez Malaga
We cannot talk about Velez-Malaga without mentioning the life of the writer Cervantes. His life is an epic worthy of his novel Don Quixote.
Miguel de Cervantes lived in Velez-Malaga, and is one of those men who had an incredible life. He was a military man and took part in a naval battle off the coast of Greece to combat the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. He lost the use of his left hand. On his return to Spain, he was captured by the barbarians and was enslaved for 5 years in Algiers, despite having escaped 4 times.
On his return to Spain, he became a food commissioner and embezzled church property, then engaged in the illicit sale of wheat, which led to periods in prison.
He will find a new job in Velez-Malaga…
He will serve as tax collector…
Then he became the brilliant writer of Don Quixote and the creator of the character of Dulcinea in his masterpiece.
He may have started writing his work not far from this house:
« ¡Gracias sean dadas a Dios, señores, que a tan buena parte nos ha conducido! Porque, si yo no me engaño la tierra que pisamos es la de Vélez Málaga. » (Chapter XLI)
To be seen just outside Velez
The municipality of Velez Málaga includes many places such as Torre del Mar, Trapiche, Almayate, Benajarafe or Chilches.
Here are two others that are worth a visit:
- the town of Triana, where you can discover a wonderful hidden hamlet: La Zorilla
- and of course Caleta de Velez to discover its fishing port and taste the pescaïto frito
What to do in Velez Malaga?
Activities
In the surroundings, it is possible to find very nice activities:
- horse riding, on the beach or in the mountains
- diving in Nerja and Torrox
- guided tours (villages of Axarquia, Cordoba, Alhambra,…)
- via ferrata of Zafarraya
- hiking (El Saltillo with the hanging bridge,…)
- canyoning (in the rio Verde,…)
- astrotourism
- snorkeling
- book Nerja cave
Use the following link to access all the activities to do. during your holidays. This link provides you with all the details of each activity.
Guided tours from Velez
A very good local guide, Cipriano, offers thematic and seasonal guided tours from Torre del Mar.
As example : Frigiliana and El Acebuchal Tour
Cipriano organizes from Torre del Mar the visit of Frigiliana and El Acebuchal, the famous hamlet forgotten for 50 years!
You can find the details of the day and the possibility of booking online, in the following link: Frigiliana and El Acebuchal Tour.
The guided tours are always done in small groups (2 to 8 people max.) to discover the authentic Axarquia.
In the following link you will find all the details and prices of the tours he offers (Olive Oil Tour, Wine Tour, White Villages Tour,…)
Here are all the guided tours from Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar.
Ferias and fiestas
- Velez Malaga Holy Week (to be experienced once!). This is the most important week of the year and the city shows its fervour in celebrating Holy Week.
Despite the small size of Velez-Malaga, there are 19 processions in a few days. It has been declared a Fiesta of national tourist interest.
Below are the other main fiestas and ferias of the city:
- La Veladilla el Carmen
- The King Legacy
- Zoco de Ballix
- Romería del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
- Real Feria de San Miguel
- Romería marinera de Caleta de Vélez
- Belén viviente (Almayate)
- Romería de la Virgen de los Remedios
- Carnivales
- San Juan
- Feria de la Caleta de Vélez
- International Flamenco Day
Where is Velez-Malaga?
Book accommodation
If you have a car and want to be in a quiet area, just a few kilometers from Vélez, here are two places I recommend:
- la Rana Azul guest house
- Casa Bambú guest house
Some useful links (car hire, ideas for visits)
Easy and economical bookings
Continue your trip to Andalucia
Seville
Seville, the capital of Andalucia, is a city full of treasures to discover and monuments to visit.
Here you will find everything you can see in Seville in 3 days. And for those who will stay longer you will also find information on secret Seville and the Santa Cruz and Triana districts.
Cadiz
Malaga
When you reach the Costa del Sol you will find in this link all must-sees in Malaga :
Granada
Discover what to see in Granada, and visit the Albaicin and Sacromonte districts:
Cordoba
And of course, visit Cordoba, the caliphate city, and the Juderia district
Experiences to discover in the province of Malaga
Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalusia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.
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