Antequera area guide: the heart of Andalucía
Thanks to its location between the autonomous community's big cities: Sevilla, Málaga, Granada and Córdoba, Antequera is at the very heart of Andalucía. All four of these wonderful conurbations can be easily reached from Antequera, but the city itself also boasts plenty of attractions for both the visitor and potential homebuyer.
The city's history is what really makes it stand out as a bona fide place of interest. Two Bronze Age burial mounds on its outskirts are the largest of their kind in Europe, and hint at a settlement that predates most others in Southern Spain, while the Phoenicians, Romans and Moors all left their indelible marks on the city until the Christians drove the latter out and turned Antequera into a stronghold that helped protect the kingdom at Granada. Today, Antequera relies on the tourists that come to delve into its history as the city's main source of income.
While history is obviously something of a big deal in Antequera, it's hardly a reason to consider the city as a viable location to live or own a property in. Instead, those interested in experiencing another side to Southern Spain should consider Antequera for its location - it is situated at the foot of the El Torcal mountain range and is a short distance from some of Spain's most dramatic swathes of natural beauty and semi-wilderness. This includes the Fuente de Piedra, which is a saltwater lagoon and one of the few European nesting spots for the greater flamingo; the gorge and lakes of El Chorro and the striking La Pena de los Enamorados (The Lovers' Rock), which is part of both romantic legend and a wonderful horizon. Indeed, it looms large over the entire city and is unmissable in every respect.
Nature lovers really will fall head over heels for Antequera, yet the city, with a municipal population of 42,000, also has lots to offer those who seek plenty of convenience, traditional culture and a fast-growing network of modern amenities. It's a proper, if small, city, and one that could never be classed as 'sleepy' even though its good looks and relative isolation give it the air of the more authentic whitewashed villages that are scattered throughout the mountain valleys of Andalucía.
With 32 churches and convents in the city, the religious, or lovers of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture - are in for a daily treat. The numerous palaces only add to the grandeur of the city, and are sure to impress visitors when they come over for their 'week in sunny Spain'. After such a culturally rich feast for the eyes, it's the stomach's turn, and barely a day of your existence in Antequera will go by without lashings of the local liquid gold, olive oil and olives, grown in the surrounding valleys, are liberally sprinkled all over the local dishes, and are extremely tasty to boot.
The museums in Antequera are thought to house approximately 80 percent of Málaga province's art treasures, while additional places of interest include the Municipal Museum at the Palace of Najera, the bullring, which dates from 1848, the Roman baths, the Roman villa of Estación and the Arco de los Gigantes, which was erected in 1595 to honour King Philip II of Spain.
As a relatively lively city, Antequera has plenty for night owls to get their talons into. While the cinemas in town yet don't show any English-language screenings, it's only a matter of time. Other pursuits that don't require a fluent grasp of the Spanish language include flamenco dancing, dining out and that great Andalusian pastime, drinking and conversing until the early hours of the morning.
Antequera is particularly blessed with a wide range of bars, some classic 'spit 'n sawdust' bodega-type establishments, some the garish Euro-pop kind, and some settling for a happy medium in between. Bars worth looking out for include El Coto, Trucos, Zebra, Las Botellitas and the Habana Club. Most bars and restaurants are highly visible around the centre of town, but if you're feeling adventurous then a wander down the numerous side streets often yields a rewarding, and inexpensive find.