A day, a weekend or a lifetime
In Antequera all roads lead to a church . It must be one of the cities with the most temples per person: there are 33 for a population of 41,000 inhabitants . The religious imprint is such that the town has two patron saints and one patron saint. And its main street, called Infant Don Fernando , houses up to four parishes. The city is an absolute ecclesiastical paradise and any lover of this heritage can spend days from chapel to chapel. But don't worry if you're not one of them: Antequera is much more. Although you should at least make the effort to go through the carmen church , built in the 16th century and with an amazing baroque altarpiece.
On both sides of the building, in addition, there are two suggestive views. One, towards the old medieval Antequera and what remains of it; another, allows you a panoramic view of the town crowned in the background by the amazing Lovers' Rock , where the legend says that lovers Tazgona and Tello They threw themselves into the void to transfer their love to eternity.
Rock of lovers
A few meters away is the Carmen Square , a good place to start getting to know Antequera: it is the same point where, in 1410, the army of the Ferdinand I of Aragon assaulted the wall to end up conquering the city. A statue there remembers the families who had to flee to Granada , where would they found Antequeruela , a neighborhood that today occupies the beautiful Realejo in the capital of Granada. Fortunately, ladders or wooden bastides are no longer needed to attack the wall, nor do the people of Antequera receive visitors with tar and tow: it is only necessary to get used to the idea of the many slopes that must be climbed and descended to climb again. It is your particular welcome.
From the Plaza del Carmen, a small passageway under the Muslim canvas leads to the College Street , which ends next to the most interesting historical site in Antequera: The Alcazab a. First you have to cross the Arch of the Giants , a monument with which the people of Antequera in the 16th century wanted to celebrate the victory of humanism and that takes its name from the huge Roman statues that presided over it, of which only a few legs remain standing today.
The access to the Alcazaba is done in a bend, habitual in the muslim fortifications , that this occasion serves to travel back in time to the medieval Antakira l. You can still walk along the walls and enter the two towers that are still standing. The White Tower and the Tribute Tower , popularly known in the city as acorns , name that it receives since the city had to sell a cork oak forest to finance the placement of a clock and a bell in its highest part. It is worth going inside and going up to the terrace to get a complete idea of Antequera and its surroundings; and imagine what the Christian camp that besieged the city must have been like on a small nearby mound where Fernando I shouted that And let the sun rise in Antequera . Panning also poses a game: Recognize the 33 churches and their bell towers.
Antequera from the Arch of the Giants
Throughout the historic site, they offer a series of à la carte experiences such as dramatized routes, sensory dinners or night visits . Also in its surroundings: next to the Alcazaba and the remains of some Roman baths, stands the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa Maria . The first Renaissance church in Andalusia is today empty, without altarpieces or decoration. For not having, there is no mass. In exchange, the space preserves a marvelous Mudejar wooden coffered ceiling and houses special exhibitions and concerts , like the one Michael Poveda offered in 2009 singing verses by the Antequera poet José Antonio Muñoz Rojas.
From there and in front of the curious Fuente del Toro, Herradores street, where the bullfighter Emilio Muñoz walked his anger with Madonna in the video clip 'You'll see', accompanies you between cobblestones to a pretty little square known as El Portichuelo. A site with a couple of buildings of interest, some views of the Alcazaba for your selfies and, of course, another church: Santa María de Jesús. Before starting to go downhill, it's worth picking up your strength at El Escribano, a little bar whose menu focuses on local products and recipes. It has two beautiful terraces where you can be in short sleeves even if it's autumn. Don't trust, a few hours later you won't have enough clothes to wear because in Antequera the cold has infinite evil.
View of Antequera from the Iglesia del Carmen
ANTEQUERA WITH ART
where is it located today The Scribe lived, a few years ago, Concha Lopez Bravo . Also known as Conchilla The Picassa : an 85-year-old woman who cannot read or write, but who She paints some colorful paintings with a naïve touch that today hang on walls all over the world. . Her hobby came late. Two decades ago she started unassuming, but one day she brought the paintings to the door and tourists began to acquire them. Health reasons for her husband, now deceased, made him move very close to her, at the bottom of some impossible slopes where labyrinthine streets change names every few meters. And although she continues to paint, the sale is now more complicated because not even Christ passes by there.
The one who did arrive was María del Monte : he is remembered by a plaque on the door of Concha donated by the program The afternoon with Maria , from Canal Sur, which presented the tonadillera a few years ago. In the living room of the humble house of La Picassa hangs a beautiful family portrait and, next to the kitchen, a living room houses a wonderful collection that could be called an Antequera biopic: images of his childhood, memories of the past, local prints, the jug of lilies from the city's coat of arms and even abstract proposals. Recently, an exhibition at the Antequera Unicaja Cultural Center paid tribute to her good work.
Antequera history and painting go hand in hand at the City Museum, located halfway up the hill in one of those many palaces scattered around the city that reveal that Antequera has been very rich for much of its existence. At the top you can see works by local artists such as José María Fernández or Cristóbal Toral . The lower rooms tell you the history of Antequera in just one hour. The Muslim imprint, the Visigothic past, the precious Roman remains and even beyond: even those small settlements from the Copper Age . Inhabitants lived in them who, more than 6,000 years ago, decided to build a series of megalithic monuments with enormous stones that today are on their way to being recognized worldwide.
Conchilla The Picassa
These are the dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral that, although they have been there for several millennia, seem to have been discovered now. The candidacy for them to be declared World Heritage It has made them fashionable and now nobody in Antequera escapes joining the fist of one hand with the palm of the other to support the proposal. Neither in the city nor in the middle of Spain : even Rajoy has imitated the gesture as a sign of encouragement. streamers , canvases on the balconies, an exclusive craft beer named Menga and even the napkins of the restaurants in the city show the logo of the candidacy of some dolmens that, on the other hand, deserve to be visited. Do not hesitate to watch the video where they explain how they were built stone on stone: if today it would be complicated, 6,000 years ago it seems impossible . But there they are.
An interesting selection of historical and current photographs of the dolmens have been collected in the MAD Antequera contemporary art museum, where they could perfectly hang the paintings of Conchilla La Picassa . While they decide to dedicate a permanent room to it, the space hosts several temporary exhibitions, such as the one now featuring tiny characters created by the people of Malaga Javier Calleja and Chema Lumbreras and the Portuguese Baltazar Torres . Next to its beautiful patio there is a permanent mural by the artist from Antequera, José Medina Galeote: a subtle type, with a defined style, who challenges the viewer and who hides with his work more than it shows. And that from his studio in the industrial estate he invents worlds that invite reflection on art. El Angelote bar, in front of the City Museum and, of course, between three churches, it also houses two other mural works by Medina Galeote.
Bar El Angelote
STOP AND FONDA
Since we passed by a bar, It is a good time to delve into the gastronomy of Antequera . The city offers a wide range of possibilities for all tastes and pockets, so it is difficult to choose. To understand the quality of the local cuisine, you have to know the plains of Antequera: rich lands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River where they grow garden products, olive trees, cereals and even quinoa. You can buy them at fruity , which will be your favorite greengrocer. It has four stores in Antequera and you can even get lost in one: it is located in an old car dealership. In this enormous establishment, the best products from La Vega are mixed with a range of Malaga vegetables and tropical fruits from half the world that you won't even know their names.
Things from the countryside, as Muñoz Rojas would say, go from the nearby orchard to Antequera kitchens and the result could not be better. This is the case of the Arte de Cozina restaurant, located in –another- noble palace from the 17th century, it is one of those that has best reinterpreted local recipes. To that country humility made delicatessen that is porra antequerana made with tomato , add here its version with orange and the call white baton, based on the original formula . Suckling goat gizzards from Malaga, gazpachuelo with chips, snails in a spicy almond stew or a pot of chestnuts are proposals for a menu that invites you to return. The chef of the house, Charo Carmona , represents to Antequera cuisine what any grandmother would to her grandchildren: recipes with eye-popping quantities, powerful dishes and tasty, energetic and overflowing spoonfuls.
At its height is, without a doubt, the rice with lobster at Restaurante Lozano. An absolute work of culinary art in a place where you must try the country potatoes, the Iberian ham pâté and everything that is put in front of you. The daily menu, with the baton as the protagonist, has a value for money that brings many of the workers of the estate there: unequivocal sign that you eat well and cheaply . If you want privacy, you can even reserve your own room to eat quietly with your family or friends; and you drink or eat too much, you can stay in one of their rooms s to spend the night, which is also a hotel for a reason.
Other good options for your rest are the Antequera Golf and Coso Viejo hotels, in addition to the only five-star hotel in the city: the Hotel Convento La Magdalena. An old building from the 16th century with 21st century facilities in the middle of the countryside from which it will be difficult for you to escape.
If you decide to return to the city, strolling through the city it is easy to find interesting places to have tapas such as the Castile Bar , popularly known by the nickname of the person responsible for it: The Guanchi . And also great Antequera classics like the bars Nico, Carrera, El Adarve, El Seronero, Pizarro or El Meson Number 1 , in which ten euros give of themselves as you can not imagine. The restaurant By force adds to the offer with some interesting homemade proposals, although the place is famous for something sweeter: their churros with chocolate . And don't hesitate to approach the rich bakery to take you some biscuits called macaroons ideal for dipping in your cola cao or making your desserts. There you will also find the best bread in Antequera . Patience, there will probably be a queue when you arrive.
On the outskirts of Antequera, they stand out on the way to El Torcal two sales . On the one hand, The Ducks , traditionally known by the name of its owner, Miguel El Lanas . And, on the other, the sale Rabbit , a place that only opens on Saturdays and Sundays in the cold season and where you will have to sign yourself up on the waiting list if you don't arrive early. Its offer is as basic as it is tasty , with only five or six possibilities to eat not suitable for vegetarians. The portions of loin with tomato, offal, chorizo, some unique French fries and, of course, rabbit stand out. And a fried egg on top, what would your grandmother say.
By his side, moreover, starts a short walk along the riverbank of the town , an opportunity to see the vestiges of the Antequera textile industry while downing your lunch. A little further away is the Caserío San Benito, classified as Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide, practically the previous one to a star. Located in an old farmhouse full of old objects, its beans with piparras, homemade migas or rice with partridge are wonderful for the cold winter. A bienmesabe from Antequera puts the icing on the menu while a brazier of picón warms your feet.
Farmhouse San Benito
THE MANDATORY SOUVENIR
The bienmesabe, in fact, It is the most coveted local sweet . It is made from almonds, sugar, eggs and sponge cake and the best is, without a doubt, the one made by the ten nuns who remain in the Bethlehem Convent , located -how could it be otherwise- next to two more churches: those of Santiago and Santa Eufemia. They sell it by the kilo through a lathe and by itself justifies a visit to Antequera.
At the end of the year, of course, they add alfajores and mantecados to their production, another of the most popular traditional products. La Antequerana or Sancho Melero are the two main producing companies, although La Perla stands out, with a more familiar character, created in 1938 and whose Christmas genre is highly coveted for its quality. From his small sales office on Calle Mesones you can see a factory that is bustling with frantic activity from October to December. To produce just over 45,000 kilos in three months, it has 40 people that carry out a chain work that would be the envy of Ford. everything is manual , from their preparation one by one to their passage through the oven or the way they are wrapped or distributed in the boxes.
Tradition used to order them to be accompanied by a delicious anise El Torcal . A bottle spell, a liquor spell, as the classic advertising would say. Today it has disappeared, so a good Machaquito of Rute , of course, also works. I'm sure, moreover, that you'll find it in La Castellana, located in the meson street yes A grocery store where you will find almost everything and an absolute classic of the city.
La Perla Mantecados
NIGHT IS COMING
Speaking of spirits, the Alameda of Andalusia Today it is full of bars with large terraces for tapas or drinks, although the traditional area for pubs has been (and still is, although to a lesser extent) Calle Calzada. It is worth making a detour to the church of San Agustín, next to which is Le Bistrot , a simple, spacious bar with an interesting program of alternative music concerts. It welcomes almost the entire Antequera music scene, with bands like The Shouting Market, The Lame Tones, Roxane´s House or Most Wanted , whom you can meet often there.
Le Bistrot continues the tradition of establishments that have already disappeared, such as Villarreal or Subheaven , who have always been linked in one way or another to another of the most interesting people in local cultural management: Miguel Chipi Ramirez . Today he continues to run an already historic record store called Sónar and is in charge of the indie music programming of the only permanent concert hall in Antequera: Cambayá. . A place that, in addition to being a recording studio for a good number of blues and flamenco records, , has become a haven for live music. Its reduced dimensions make the public literally mix between the band and the music as it should be, close. Be sure to check your programming because there are still surprises . And, this time there are no churches in sight.
neither together to the old Torcal Cinema , an architectural jewel and pure art deco from the 1930s. The site hosts some sporadic concerts, theater performances and, exceptionally, a movie. It will be for romance.
Where there is no religious temple either is in El Torcal, A must for lovers of hiking. And for those who don't. In this natural area, time has sculpted a wonderful labyrinth in the limestone with corners that seem to be from another planet. AND The Indian, the screw, the pot, the sphinx, the jug or the camel are some of the natural monuments that you can find along the two routes that cross it. Walks in which it will be easy for you to come across mountain goats, an animal with which you will feel identified while jumping between stones.
Snow usually covers this natural area for a few days or a few hours each year: the experience then becomes sublime . Its visitor center tells you how El Torcal has become what it is today and has an interesting astronomical observatory that organizes interesting activities and where you can enjoy the Perseids every summer. Numerous fossils embedded in the stones remind us that this place was under the sea a few million years ago: today the Mediterranean can be seen in the distance from the Mirador de las Almenillas, a wonderful place to say goodbye to Antequera without first, of course, setting the date for the next visit. There are always churches to discover.
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El Torcal
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