Antequera, for too long have you been considered the ‘little brother’ to Granada, relegated as a stopover, or avoided entirely. I’m here to set the record straight - after spending a weekend here in Winter, 2019, I can safely say this little Andalusian gem needs to be on your radar for a night or two.

Antequera

**WHERE**: Andalucia, Spain
**WHY**: Cheap, off the tourist trail
**TIME**: 1 night

UNDERSTAND

Antequera is a small(ish) town in the Malaga province of Andalucia in southern Spain. Equidistant from both Malaga and Granada, Antequera holds charms that bely its small town vibes. Despite only being resident to one hundred thousand or so locals, Antequera has more than enough to keep you occupied for a stopover.

Antequera has a rich and varied history, starting out as a Roman history, before being taken over by the Iberians, the Visigoths the Moors and finally the Christian kingdoms of Spain to the north. From what I read, Andalucia had once considered making Antequera the capital of the region, but went for Seville instead - a lucky decision for us, as this has kept Antequera relatively small, quiet, and distinctly off the beaten tourist track on Spain.

The weekend that I spent there recently was blissful. I didn’t meet a single other tourist or backpacker, and was able to explore the monuments, tapas bars and streets almost by myself. There was a distinct pride in the locals here - as if they know how small their town is, but are proud of its relative parochialism. At any rate, the locals here, whilst fiery and haughty at times, were extremely welcoming to us, and helped us have an awesome time here.

GETTING THERE

If you’re lucky enough to be travelling Europe by campervan, Antequera is well set up for this - with a perfect campervan location about 1.5 km’s out of town at 43 Calle Escultor Diego Marquez - there are 16 spare spaces available for campervans with water, black water and rubbish bins.

However, if you are not traveling by campervan, Antequera is an easy spot to get to. You can take a the Casada service from Málaga, which will take about an hour. The bus station is located central to the main drag, and isn’t too much of a walk.

WHAT TO DO

The big ticket item whilst in Antequera is seeing the Alcazaba. The Alcazaba is a 14th century fortress erected by the Moors to defend against the Christian kingdoms returning to Spain from the North. Warfare aside, the Alcazaba is monumental, and a walk through this fortress, whilst taking about 2 hours, will only set you back 4 euros. We spent a leisurely few hours wandering the walls, turrets and belltowers of the Alcazaba, gleefully content with the money spent - you also won’t find a better vantage point for photography in Andalucia.

Located just behind the Alcazaba is a viewing platform by which you can spot the remains of several Roman Baths - all for free. Around the front of the Alcazaba is the famous Church in town, theRoyal Collegiate of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is definitely worth a look.

Wanna read more about the Alcazaba? Read my brief guide to visiting here.

Other than the Alcazaba, Antequera has a few other options to keep you busy. The Dolmen of Menga is a neolithic burial site, located almost virtually in the CBD of Antequera at Carr. de Málaga, Número 5, 29200 Antequera. Despite being one of the biggest neolithic burial sites on all of Europe, the Dolmen is virtually neglected by tourists - oh, and did I mention that it’s free to visit? Yep. Completely free. Read more about it here - however, I will say that it was probably one of the best free activities that I came upon in Spain.

Other than historical monuments, Antequera is also surrounded by an array of hiking and wilderness activities. Located only half an hour by car is the El Torcal de Antequera, a strange wonderland of unique rock formations. If that’s not enough for you, you could also check out the high instagrammable canyon of Caminito Del Rey - including a very thin walkway in a gorge - very photogenic.

This is a slightly weird one, Antequera is also located close by to a ‘Wolf Park.’ That is, a park that is populated by Iberian, Alaskan, Timber and European wolves, kept under close guard. The park offers 40 acres to explore on a guided tour, the park is located at Carr Antequera-Alora km.16 A-343. For more information about visiting contact Tel 952031107 / 666207377 or read more here.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Antequera, like much of Southern Spain is Tapas country. However, unlike to the north, the Tapas here is usually not free (however, drink prices are cheaper). To get some Tapas, you’ll need to order them off the menu - however, most spots in town have a series of specialties that they’ll advertise on a board behind the bar, so you’ll be spoiled for choice of local delicacies. Tapas is definitely the best way to get a drink in town - all of these bars will serve beers and wine for less than 3 euros a pop - always go for the ‘vinto tinto de casa,’ (the house red), or a ‘vino locales’, the local wine. However, without any further ado, My recommendation for Tapas spots in town is as follows;

Carrera Bar (Carrera de Madre Carmen, 18, 29200 Antequera)
Taberna El Rincon de Lola (Carrera de Madre Carmen, 18, 29200 Antequera)
Casa Diego Inn (Calle Merecillas, 14, 29200 Antequera)
Tapas Art (Calle Calzada, 25, 29200 Antequera)

Looking for more information about tapas? read my guide to getting the best tapas in Spain here.

Outside of eating Tapas, Antequera is known for porra antequerana, which is dish served cold, made with bread, extra virgin olive oil and tomato, traditionally accompanied by tacos of ham, boiled egg and tuna. My porra antequerana served up at Arte de Cozina, was nothing short of dream-inspiring - very tasty stuff.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Given you’ll be needing to sleep off the tapas and wine, you’ll need a place to rest your head. Antequerana is certainly not set up for hordes of backpackers, however, there are a few budget accomodation options available.

Hostal Colon: Funny name aside, this joint will provide bedding for around 20 euros per night, has wi-fi, and is centrally located.
Hostel Cosa Viejo: Another charming and cheap option. Again, centrally located, no frills and fairly affordable for the night. expect to pay around 30 euros a night.
Hotel Castilla: Same as above. Relaxed spot where you’ll pay 30 euros per night.

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