Eloise Horsfield
Each of the Axarquia’s 31 towns and villages have their own distinct charm and a history more eventful than you may imagine.
In El Borge, which is famed for its raisins and as the birthplace of El Bizco, a blood-thirsty, one-eyed bandit, you will find street names reflecting the fact that today’s mayor is a little to the left of Mao Tse-tung.
Tiny Macharaviaya has interesting street names too…Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans. They recall the days when it was known as Little Madrid, thanks to the Galvez family who achieved power and wealth and aided the USA’s fight for independence.
Riogordo is the place to be on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. You are likely to meet Roman centurions strolling down the main street and Galician shepherds refreshing themselves in a bar. Hundreds of villagers take part in the annual Passion Play.
High up in Comares you will find a fascinating town going back to the Phoenicians, where the Arabic Moors later created a key settlement, testament to which is the Patio de Comares in the Alhambra.
In Colmenar, meaning bee hive, you will appropriately find the region’s honey museum and a charming village of cobbled steep streets.
Regarding El Borge, the author of this piece wrote: “today’s mayor is a little to the left of Mao Tse-tung.”
And we have all seen the headlines about the inhabitants being forcibly sent to the countryside for re-education. Haven´t we? Well, I haven´t.
The mayor is a member of PSOE, for goodness sake. He hasn´t introduced communism in El Borge.