Competa is a large village of approximately 4,000 inhabitants, located at an altitude of 2,000 feet, about a 25 minute drive from the coastal motorway and the beaches of Torrox Costa and Algarrobo Costa. The larger towns of Torre del Mar, Nerja, and Velez-Malaga are a 30 minute drive away, and the airport at Malaga approximately 1 hour. Competa is best known to many for it's locally produced wine, both dry and sweet which is both plentiful and cheap. One of the most popular annual fiestas is the 'Noche del Vino' on the 15th August featuring programmes of flamenco music and dance, plus free sampling of the local vino and the traditional 'migas' to eat. There is also the annual 'feria' at the end of July, when locals and visitors really let their hair down in a real party atmosphere. The area is particularly popular with the British, Scandinavians, Germans and Dutch, and the steady influx of foreigners has proved positive overall for the locals in helping to slow down the former migration of young people to the cities and coast. Competa is now a self-sufficient and thriving mountain village, centred around the Plaza Almijara, dominated by it's magnificent 16th Century church. The bustling square is one of the best locations to enjoy a drink or meal and people watch. The village is fascinating to explore with it's labyrinthine narrow, cobbled streets dating back to Moorish times, yet it can provide virtually all the essential services required for daily life. There are a large number of restaurants and bars, some of them extremely good, more than a dozen supermarkets, banks, hardware & DIY stores, furniture and white goods, paper shops with international press, post office, tourist office and gift shops. You will also find primary and secondary schools, doctor, dentist and veterinary services, pharmacies, police stations, language schools, internet cafe and a full range of tradesmen, both English and Spanish, to cater for your every need.

Map of the Region

Competa lies just below the hills towards the east of this map. The coastal motorway has now been extended to reach to the east of Nerja, and is still being extended further eastwards towards Motril and Almeria.

The Axarquia

Until around ten to fifteen years ago, the Axarquia region of Andalucia was little known. Then, northern European expatriates discovered the pretty hilltop village of Competa and started buying up some of the run-down fincas and cortijos in the area, and put it on the map.

Today, rural tourism comprises a large part of the local economy. However, the area is still breathtakingly beautiful and has not been spoilt by the interest and influx of foreigners. The main attractions are the area's dramatic hill and mountain scenery, the unspoilt whitewashed villages, and the strong, sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes.

The Axarquia is excellent for hiking and several companies now run walking holidays from the UK centred around Competa. Horse trekking is similarly popular. The landscape is riven by deep valleys, lined with terraces and irrigation channels dating back to Muslim times. Nearly all the villages dotting the hillsides planted with olives, almonds and vines, are of Muslim origin, with narrow, winding streets. The Axarquia joined the 1569 Morisco rebellion and afterwards it's inhabitants were replaced by Christians from further north. Signed routes with names like 'Ruta del Vino' link villages in one day drives along the snaking mountain roads. The so-called capital of the area is Velez-Malaga, 4 km north of the coastal town of Torre del Mar, which although fairly unremarkable, has a prominent Muslim castle worth a couple of photos. The highest mountains in the area stretch east from the Boquete de Zafarraya.

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