Moclinejo - Axarquía Malagueña - Málaga

Moclinejo is located in the interior of La Axarquía, in a hill of the Cerro de Piedras Blancas. It has a landscape covered with low ridges and olives, almond trees and vineyards. It is known like the Puerta de la Ruta de la Pasa, the growing of the vine returns to be the base of the economy of its inhabitants, together with the production of the olive oil. The wine and its raisins are very famous further away its borders.

The population centre is to 450 metres above sea level; the municipal area has an average precipitation of 580 l/m2 and a temperature of 17,5º C.

In view of the lack of information or traces prior to the Arab domination that prove the existence of settlements before this age, we have to think that Moclinejo has Muslim origins because of the place and its name. Although it is not clear the meaning of Moclinejo, it probably comes from Moclín, because it could be people from this town of Granada those who founded the town. In the Chronicles at the end of the XV and XVI centuries appears like Moclinetum, Mohinete, Modinete, Molinete and even Molinillo.

In lands of Moclinejo the Christian troops of the governor of Antequera, Pedro Enríquez, suffered a defeat against the Muslims in 1482. The history points that the Muslims had taken refuge in a castle after burning his properties, however, they went in the open and threw crags and trunks to his enemies. Such was the defeat of the Christian troops of Alojos de Aguijar, that there is a cliff in the municipal area that from then it was called Hoya de los Muertos.

The rest of the history is similar to the one of the area: Christian conquest, expulsion of the Moorish, economic boom with the production of the grape, crisis and collapse because of the phylloxera and starting again.

Monuments

Church of Ntra. Sra. de Gracia 
El Manchón de las Minas

Gastronomy

In Moclinejo we can taste the typical raisins due to the good climate that favours the vineyards. In the town we can also find the subtropical growing such as the avocado pears, custard apples, mangos and papayas.

Among the typical dishes in Moclinejo, we have to emphasize the gazpachuelo, the ajoblanco (cold garlic and almond soup), fried breadcrumbs, sopas de maimones, and the boiled cod and sirloin steak.

As regards its confectionery we can emphasize the wine ring-shapes rolls and borrachuelos.

How to get there

From Málaga, you have to take the Motorway of the Mediterranean towards Motril-Almería. Before arriving Rincón de la Victoria you have to turn off by the MA-107 until Benagalbón, and in this point you have to link with the MA-108 until you get Moclinejo. Once you have left the coast, the journey is short but very winding.

Distances

To Málaga 27 km  
To Marbella 88 km  
To Nerja 44 km 
To Torre del Mar 24 km 
To Almáchar 8,5 km  
To Iznate 22 km