El Borge - Málaga - Axarquía Malagueña

El Borge is located to 237 metres above sea level at the bottom of Cerro Cútar (595 metres) and close to the river with the same name. El Borge borders on the region of Montes in Málaga and on La Axarquía, with a landscape of hillocks, gullies and sometimes of smooth shapes, covered with vineyards and olive groves. There are many people who grow the raisins because of the abundance of vineyards, a very typical element in La Axarquía. Where the relief is smooth it is cultivated the cereal in order to be transformed in irrigated land of citrus fruits, fruit-trees and vegetables in the gardens of the valley.

Its name seems to come from the Arab term: Al-Burch that means the bastion. In XI century it was a part of the whole known as "The Four Towns" that, together with Almáchar, Moclinejo and Cútar, were under the protection of Comares castle. 
 
In the area between its township and Moclinejo and Totalán, it takes place one of the most important events in XV century related to the long fight between Christians and Moslems that went before the disappearance of the Nasrid Dynasty in Granada: in March, 1483 Castilian troops, in command of the Marquis of Cádiz, were defeated by the army that leaded El Zagal, when Christians went to conquest Málaga.

After the capture of these territories by the Catholic Monarchs, El Borge will continue depending on Comares until in 1513 it belongs to Málaga. 
 
In the second half of XVI century, El Borge was a centre of defiance when it took place Moorish uprising, providing its neighbours the escape towards Alpujarra those who wanted to join the revolt. As well as the hard repression that the chief magistrate Vélez, Alvaro de Zuarzo, was responsible of, it followed the definitive expulsion of the Moorish from its lands.

At the end of XVI century, the town starts to repopulate with old Christians who came from different places of the Spanish geography. 
 
One of the most serious event lived through the people of this village is the appearance in 1875, in the farm La Indiana –to 9 kilometres from El Borge- of the plague caused by the phylloxera, that, in a little time, would ruin all the village, whose economy was supported in the growing of vine. 
 
The village was also affected by an important earthquake, called the Earthquake of Andalucía, December, 25 1884; causing many damages to property.

Monuments

Church of Ntra. Sra. del Rosario 
Barrio del Rinconcillo 
Arch of El Borge 
Arch of La Pasa 
Fountain of El Cuerno

Gastronomy

Between the most typical dishes of El Borge we can find the Ajoblanco of Almonds (crushed garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, oil, vinegar and water), cod omelette just as the gazpacho of pepper and tomato, the vegetable stews and the tomato soup. We can also mention its subtropical products such as the avocado pears, mangos, custard apples, papaya, etc.

How to get there

There are several access roads to El Borge, all of them with beautiful landscapes but some of the roads have many bends. The most advisable is, to set off the Mediterranean Motorway (A-7; N-340), follow the Motorway A-335 towardsVélez Málaga. Once you have left behind this village you have to take MA-145, and later the MA-178 until the vicinity of Almáchar, where you have to take the MA-148, which leads you to El Borge.

Distances

To Málaga 38 km  
To Nerja 41 km  
To Antequera 85 km  
To Marbella 98 km