Macharaviaya - Málaga - Axarquía Malagueña

Situation

Macharaviaya is situated in the Axarquia, is 25 km from Vélez Málaga and 27 from the capital of the province, and is about 240 metres above sea level, the area has an average precipitation of 520 l/m2 and the average annual temperature is 17.5 º C

The origin of Macharaviaya is Arabic as is its name, which comes from the phonetic transcription of Machar Ibn Yahya, which means the meadow or farm of Abu Yahya.
However, the foundation of Macharaviaya dates from 1572. Prior to this date was the construction of the parish church, erected in 1505 by the Archbishop of Seville , and confirmed in 1510 by King Ferdinand. It was raised with the benefits of a card factory, also situated in the village; you can still see the ancient building, and the ebb and flow of the aristocracy of the place, represented by the Galvez family.

The church was rebuilt in the reign of Charles III, in the year of 1785, also at the expense of that same Galvez family. In the early eighteenth century Macharaviaya was an urban conglomeration with exactly 57 houses. Phylloxera, which attacked the vineyards of the region in the late nineteenth century, led to the gradual depopulation of the village.

The past of the town is represented in the archives for the evolution of the aristocracy, the Galvez family, some of whose members had prominent roles in the politics of the Spanish expansion in the Indies. Also, the town was the birthplace of the great poet Salvador Rueda, born on December 3, 1857, whose birthplace is still preserved.

Monuments

Ancient Playing Card Factory
Museum/house of Los Galvez
House Museum of Salvador Rueda
Iglesia de Ntra Sra de la Encarnacion (Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation, Benaque)
San Jacinto Church
Mausoleum of the Gálvez
Pilar de Arriba
Temple of Los Galvez (Shrine)
Miliar

Gastronomy

The most important dish in the municipality of Macharaviaya is "sopa de maimones" (soup made with garlic, bread and olive oil), also de "ajo blanco" and the "gazpacho"

Directions

Start from the Autovia Mediterraneo (A-7, N-340), towards Motril, about five miles after the sign to Chilches, take the MA-176 road, which leads directly, but not in a straight line to Macharaviaya.

Distances

Malaga 32km
Nerja 33 km
Almáchar 23km
Velez Malaga 16 km