Colmenar

If your interest is the cultural & historical intrigue of the Andalucia region, Colmenar is only 30 minutes from the city of Malaga, while both Granada and Cordoba can be reached in an hour and a half. It takes less then two hours to arrive in Seville; so really Colmenar is the ideal tourist stepping off point.

Located just beyond the Montes de Malaga National Park, Colmenar is a small farming based town with a population of around 4000.

The meaning of the word Colmenar in Spanish is beehive, Honey being the locally produced specialty. One can find it on sale in almost all the local shops.

Colmenar is the most western town of the Axarquia region. On the outskirts of the town the area is much more suited to the farming of arable crops than the traditional olives and almonds, found in the hillier regions.

Worth seeing anywhere in España are the celebrations for Semana Santa (Easter week). Colmenar itself has various public events. Of particular interest is the Romeria, a display of horses and traditional horsemanship. This event takes place in early May.

Like all Andalucian pueblos Colmenar has its annual Feria, this takes place starting the second Wednesday in August, and lasts until the early hours of the following Sunday.

The town has one large and several smaller self-service supermarkets plus an outdoor fruit & vegetable market every Thursday from 9am until around 2pm. There are two banks situated in the centre. Both have cash dispensers which accept all European and Visa cards. Fresh fish is available from Tuesday through to Saturday but you need to be early for the widest choice!

An ever increasing number of restaurants exist within the town itself and more are situated on the outskirts. Some specialize in grilled and roast meats, while others cater for local cuisine, tapas and seafoods. Ask to sample the local and famous Malaga wines or ‘Musto’.