Today we bring you a somewhat different blog than the ones we are used to. We are not very enthusiastic when it comes to making lists or classifications, but these places in the province of Malaga well deserved it, and so, we are going to do it. We are going to tell you about 2 towns, cities and places; their order is merely functional and not by value. All hold each other in the same esteem, for each one with its own peculiarities and corners, as well as being unknown, will make a pleasant impression on you.

Nerja

Nerja being the easternmost municipality in the province of Malaga, pleasantly surprises everyone who visits it; for its disparity with the rest of the Malaga province.

Virgin beaches and coves with turquoise waters, white sands and impressive cliffs, is what everyone who visits Nerja falls in love with. But it is not only that what this wonderful city can offer you, its caves discovered in 1959 and opened to the public in 1960 are today one of the main attractions of the coastal city.

For the more adventurous Nerja offers you a variety of sports activities such as the hiking trail of the Chillar River. For cyclists who read us regularly, we recommend a road bike route that we did when we were still «free», and of which we were delighted.

The itinerary is as follows; Nerja – Almuñecar – Peña Escrita. It is a route which could be classified as a medium-high difficulty route. The climb to Peña Escrita will make you have to squeeze the males. 13.90 kilometers with an average slope of 8.27% and 1200 meters of accumulated altitude. What makes this climb especially tough are its demanding ramps, which in some cases reach up to 27%.

The beauty of the Nerja and Granada coasts along with the climb to Peña Escrita will make you enjoy a great day of cycling.

Frigiliana

Frigiliana and Nerja, Nerja and Frigiliana. Two towns, the same destination. Frigiliana is not understood without Nerja and Nerja without Frigiliana. Located in the mountains 7 kilometers from Nerja, Frigiliana is considered one of the most beautiful towns in all of Spain. Its white houses, typical of Andalusian villages, the cobblestone streets and its flower-covered facades make Frigiliana a unique place.

When history is discussed in schools and colleges in Spain, it is usually told in a very ambiguous and general way, according to my personal judgment. Stories like the one I am going to tell you, make our story much richer and more attractive.

We go back to the 8th century AD. The Muslim occupation of the peninsula is already a reality, and the Kingdom of Granada does not want to waste time. They decide to create a system which I am going to call; «Torres Vigías System». This system would be used and reinforced by Christians when they expelled Muslims from the peninsula. Its operation is quite easy to understand, but at the risk of leaving doubts I will explain it in a simple way in the next paragraph.

Knowing that the coasts were a weak point for their kingdom, the Muslims decided to place watchtowers every 15-30 km, at strategic coastal points. And you will wonder, why every 15-30 kilometers? Well, it’s very frank. Every 15-30 kilometers there was always a coastal town, which could be attacked. These towers were used to spot enemy ships, defend against attacks, and at the same time communicate with other points on the coast. In turn, each large coastal town had a population center located in the interior, in which women, children, cripples and the elderly could take refuge. This is the case of Frigiliana and Nerja, of Nerja and Frigiliana. Two towns, the same destination.

According to the history books, Muslims were the first to create this surveillance system on the Spanish coast. But it was not only that what they brought with them to the peninsula. They also brought the sugar cane or, as the locals told it not so long ago, the diminutive «cañadu» of sugar cane. Today Frigiliana has the only European factory for Sugar Cane Honey.

The heritage, beauty and history make Frigiliana a unique place in the world.