Discover the green Axarquía
Overlooking the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Almaha National Park, the white mountain village of Sedella is located in a beautiful green valley.
With approximately 600 inhabitants, Sedella is a quiet but beautiful place to walk, enjoy the peace and explore the area.
Life moves slowly there. The residents of this Andalusian village work in their vegetable garden, orchard or spend the day on a bench at nightfall.
From all corners of the village there is a beautiful view of the highest mountain in the La Maroma region.
Sedella is a nice place to relax or to be active. Beautiful hiking trails start from various places in the village.
The hospitable village feels like a place where time has stood still. You really experience authentic Spain here. Relaxing comes completely naturally here! And with 320 days of sunshine a year, it is a perfect region for a holiday.
In the village you will find a small supermarket, a restaurant with a nice terrace, a bar (near both houses), a pharmacy, gym and a Visitors Center. More facilities can be found in the larger towns around Sedella, such as Canillas de Aceituno (15 minutes' drive) or Árchez, Canillas de Albaida or Cómpeta (15-20 minutes' drive).
Vélez-Málaga and Torre Del Mar are a 35-minute drive away and Málaga is just over an hour.
The Axarquia
The word Axarquía comes from Arabic (Ash-sharquia), which means 'Land in the East'. The region still has many visible features of the Moorish rule that lasted more than 700 years. You will find sights or architecture from this period in many villages and towns.
In addition, La Axarquía is an incredibly green and fertile region. For this reason the area is also called the vegetable garden of the Costa del Sol. From avocados to mangoes and from olives to the famous Moscatel grape, it all grows equally well here. La Axarquía is an important region for olive oil production. About twenty percent of the total world production comes from this region. You will also find many almond trees in this region, which provide a spectacular landscape in the first months of the year. And the scent of this beautiful blossom is also not to be missed.
Pueblos blancos
La Axarquía has 31 villages, also known as Pueblos Blancos, white villages. Each village has its own history and sights that often date back to the Roman and Moorish period. There are three routes that give a good impression of the region: Ruta del Vino (55 km), Ruta del Aceite y los montes (60 km) and Ruta Mudéjar (75 km).
When you book you will receive more information about these routes.
Hiking trails
The Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama nature reserve is a large nature reserve that connects many villages via hiking trails. Various hiking trails start from the villages in this nature park. The many routes are challenging, but often also easy for the inexperienced hiker. Please note that the route must be walked both there and back, or make sure that you can be picked up at your final destination.
The El Saltillo route starts from Sedella and leads you to the suspension bridge that connects a gorge. The bridge is 53 meters long and the fifth highest bridge in Spain! The route can also be walked from Canillas de Aceituno. The approach from this side is suitable for the less experienced walker.
Costa del Sol
The coast of La Axarquía has a number of nice seaside resorts. These are not visited en masse and often only by Spaniards. So you will find relatively few foreign tourists here.
Nerja, Torrox and Torre del Mar are the best known. Nerja has some smaller beaches and will be full sooner on summer days. The beaches of Torrox and Torre del Mar are more extensive, and you can always find a beach bed here.
For example, are you going to Torre del Mar? End your beach day at one of the many chiringuitos. These are restaurants on the beach with a boat in which delicious fish is grilled. Highly recommended!
Cities
A day trip to Málaga, Granada or Córdoba is easy to do from Sedella. From the peace and quiet, look for the hustle and bustle of the city again.
If you are planning a trip to Granada, don't forget to visit the Alhambra. Tickets are best booked in advance.
Bodegas
One of the best-known grapes from the region is the Mustatel. A grape used for making dessert wine. There are several wineries in the Sedella area, such as Bodegas Almijara, Bodegas Bentomiz and Sedella Vinos.
If you want to visit one of these bodegas for a wine tasting, for example, check their website first!
Markets & Rastros
Always nice to visit a market abroad. And in La Axarquía there are plenty of markets to stroll through. The most extensive markets take place at the weekend, the weekly markets for vegetables, fruit and other foodstuffs can be found in most villages on a weekday.
My favorite markets in the area are the Saturday market in Cómpeta. This can be found at the parking garage. The market on Saturday in Caleta de Velez. This is a lot larger than the market in Cómpeta and definitely worth a visit. On Sundays there is a rastro (junk/flea market) in Nerja. If you like these types of markets, this is definitely worth it.