Competa - Malaga

Competa, a Moorish village, sits at the foot of the impressive Sierras of Tejeda and Almijara, where the grapevine was the main crop, and still is an important element in the landscape and its economy. In recent years many tropical crops have been introduced, such as the cherimoya, mango and avocado that dot the landscape of the municipality. This town is a ‘must see’ on the Ruta de la Pasa y el Vino de la Axarquia.

Competa is in the comarca (region) of La Axarquia in Malaga province, at 55 km from Málaga, 70 km from the airport and 120 km from Granada.

The first known document that mentions the town, dated 29 April 1487, is the date of the surrender of the towns and villages of the Sierra de Bentomiz to the Catholic Monarchs in Velez-Malaga.

Soon after the fall of Velez Malaga into the hands of Christians (1487), representatives of the Muslim population of Cómpeta paid allegiance to the Catholic Kings, to avoid reprisals from war and in an attempt to preserve some rights for Moorish population. However, the course of events would bring the rebellion raised by the Moors in the whole of Axarquia in the second half of the 16th century, mainly in this area of Andalusia, these being the difficult living conditions of the muslim population under the control of the Christian armies, which led to hostile attitudes on both sides, then, led by Martin Alguacil of Competa and Fernando El Darra, finally ended in open rebellion. The Moors who were quartered at the Rock of Frigiliana, were defeated, and in May 1569, the first onslaught of the forces under the mayor of Vélez-Málaga, Zuarzo Arevalo, required the intervention of reinforcements from Granada, with the support of Don Juan de Austria, and caused hundreds of deaths among the Moorish rebels to quell the uprising completely.

In 1570, to finalise the process of the expulsion of the Moors, their lands were confiscated and would be distributed between Christians from Sevilla, Baena, Estepa and other parts of Andalusia.

Monuments

Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption)
Ermita de St. Sebastian (Chapel)
Ermita de St. Anthony (Chapel)
Capilla Horma Cima (chapel)
Casas Colgantes (suspended houses)

Gastronomy

Typical Cómpeta dishes are: fennel stew, migas, loin with garlic, kid, el choto, la asadura a lo pastoril and los potajes de vigilia.

We should also mention the local wines, varieties of moscatel, semisweet and dry.

Directions

From the autovia N-340 take exit 277: Algarrobo / Caleta de Vélez and climb the mountains along the MA-104/111, passing Algarrobo and Sayalonga. Competa is situated about 16 kilometres from the coast.

Coming from the direction of Nerja take the 285 exit Torrox / Competa and climb the MA-137 about 15 kilometres to Competa.

Distances

Malaga 55 km
Nerja 32 km
Sayalonga 8.5 km
Vélez-Málaga 24 km