Antequerra Information
The first impression of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town. The spires of the many churches and the walls and towers of the fortress silhouetted against the sky. The valley below contains rich farmlands and is one of Andalucía's most fertile areas. It is a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.
Overlooking the Town and Valley is an enormous crag of limestone, known as "The Lovers' Leap".Legend has it thatan impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.
The initial arrival in Antequera's modern outskirts can give little idea of the beauty of this historic town. one of the first things the vistor will see is the nineteenth-century Plaza de Toros (bullring), where during the Ferias of May and August you can see the most famous bullfighters in Spain in action! Close to the Plaza de Toros is the beautiful tree-lined promenade of the Paseo Real, which finishes in a large children's playgound where the town's smaller inhabitants play on the warm summer nights. Here the locals like to meet, walk and relax in the shade of the giant trees lining the park.
Antequera, where Andalucian charm still remains, is a medium sized, increasingly prosperous and stylish town about 38 miles inland from the coast at Malaga.
Antequera's Plaza de Toros bullring and adjacent Bullfighting museum is almost as famous as Ronda. It's not as old though, and dates from the 19th century. Renovated in the 1980s, the architectural beauty of Antequera's bullring is another string to Antequera's bow. The three rooms of adjacent Museo Taurino (bullfighting museum) explore further the history of bullfighting, national fiestas in the area and the Corrida tradition specific to Antequera.
Antequera Dolmen Megalithic Burial Tombs
The megalithic dolmen burial tombs of Menga, Viera and El Romeral are all close to Antequera. Menga and Viera are just 1.5km to the north east via the N331 road. These fascinating bolder tombs are some of Europe's largest and date from between 2500 to 1800 BC. The Menga Dolman consists of a huge 31 slabs. Find El Romeral just 5km from Antequera further north from Menga. Seek further information and directions if needed from the Tourist Information Centre at Antequera.
The largest and perhaps most impressive (if you only have time to visit one) of the megalithic Dolmens is Menga at 25m long and 4m high. All the burial tombs are free to enter and a car park area is adjacent. How these huge stones (the largest at 180 tons is at Menga) were hauled down to these spots is still somewhat of a mystery.
A pretty drive just 16km south of Antequera takes you to the El Torcal de Antequera Natural Park. This park is renowned for it's unusual and distinctive limestone rock formations, and marked paths throughout the park make them easy to view.
El Torcal, including the Sierra Pelada, covers around 20 square km, and the dramatic limestone rock formations - natural art - on display most dramatically in the Torcal. Alto area of the park were o;nce underwater millions of years ago. These awe-inspiring rock shapes were formed by water and wind. Pushed up by violent collisions in the earth's crust, they sit here now well above sea level. A natural wonder in Andalucia they are well worth the day trip or detour. When exploring in El Torcal it's best to stick to the marked paths. There's strong potential to get disorientated if you stray from the paths.
We haven't finished yet with natural wonders around Antequera. The Spanish Lake District is o¬n the doorstep with its stunning Lakes and Views, in the Ardales and El Chorro Gorge area.
The Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, officially recognised as a nature park, sits to the north west of Antequera. This huge brackish-water lake is one of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula. A big draw is the flamingo that nest here, attracted to the shallow brackish lake and marshes in the area which provide a source of food. The flamingo colony at Fuete de Piedra is the largest o¬n the Iberian Peninsula. They arrive in February in vast numbers. It's a special sight, as this is o¬ne of the few locations that they nest inland. Numerous other birds frequent the lagoon, but obviously February when the flamingos arrive is always a good time to visit.
Lobo Wolf Park Antequera
Just to the west of Antequera sits the Lobo Wolf Park. A mammoth 40 acres make up the park, which is divided into four large enclosures which are home to European wolves, Timber wolves and rare white Alaska Tundra wolves as well as Iberian wolves. Guided tours operate around four times a day. Also on-site you can horse ride and visit the petting zoo
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