30 Photos that will make you want to visit Antequera (Spain)
We visited Antequera on a recent trip around Andalusia. It is a city that really impressed us – Antequera actually impressed us more than Ronda which is on everyone’s Andalusian itinerary.
Antequera is considered “the heart of Andalusia” because of its central location among the famous cities of Granada, Cordoba and Seville. Because of its neighbours Antequera gets overlooked which is both a shame and a blessing – you’ll see few foreign tourists here.
Accommodation: The Best Hotels in Antequera
Antequera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site by virtue of the Antequera Dolmens. These are ancient burial sites dating back 5000 years (you can loosely say that they’re the Spanish version of the Egyptian pyramids which date to about the same period). They’re located just outside the city center.
But we didn’t see the Dolmens on this trip. Instead our visit covered the city itself – a city full of churches and topped with a large Moorish castle. Behind the city the mountains of the Sierra del Torcal loom. It is a rich city, both in terms of its history (the Romans and Moors both settled here. You’ll see remains of both civilizations) and wealth (created due to its location which made it a commercial and agricultural center). The wealth of the city is evident even today: the city is clean, has nice parks and modern infrastructure, and has lots of museums – in fact, I read that the museums of the city house 80% of the art treasures of the province of Malaga.
I have a few practical tips at the bottom of this post. And I’ll write much more on Antequera at some point. But this post is all visual and is meant to show off the beauty of Antequera.
Some photos:
Practical Tips and information
- You can get to Antequera from Malaga by Alsa bus in 1 hour. The schedule is here (note: in 2024, Antequera was included in the Malaga area transport network and you can no longer book Alsa for bus tickets to Antequera).
- You can also take the train to Antequera’ s AV station (close to downtown) from various destinations including Malaga and Granada. That means you can get to Antequera in 25 minutes from Malaga. Antequera’s 2nd station (Santa Ana) is 20 minutes from town and is also on the high speed train lines – so you have easy access to Cordoba, Madrid and Sevilla (as well as Malaga).
- Restaurant recommendations: Bar Infante tapas for good and inexpensive tapas. Loulu Bistro for all meals – great breakfast (we had tostadas and coffee), desserts, lunches etc…great place. Right next to Plaza de San Sebastián.
- The Alcazaba is FREE on Tuesdays between 2 – 6 PM. Otherwise it’s 6 Euros/pp.
- Where to stay: Hotel Manzanito across from Parroquia San Sebastián. Very comfortable, large rooms, inexpensive. More: The Best Hotels in Antequera
Related: Visiting the Dolmens of Antequera
Related: A Wine Tour in Antequera
Related: A Do-It-Yourself walking tour of Ronda
Hi. Wow, such beautiful pictures.
We will be visiting Antequera for the first time this June. Staying 8 nights at The Parador. I have read a lot of this beautiful town and are so exited about staying there. We stayed in Nerja a couple of times, which is lovely. And will be on holiday in Nerja again later this summer. But we chose Antequera, to experience a quiter town and area, compared to the coast. We will have a car and are already planning daytrips to Ardales Lakes, Iznajar, Archidona, El Torcal and others. But, of course, spend a lot of time in Antequera itself. Read your article about living there, too. Best regards Jan from Denmark.
Thank you for the comment Jan. We recently had a Canadian couple that we knew who visited Antequera and they loved it. Lots to see, especially if you have a car and can do some day trips.
If I can give one piece of advice: I think the Parador is Antequera is really boring and not in a great location. For that kind of money you can find a very nice apartment for 8 days closer to Plaza San Sebastian. Just giving you my honest opinion…
Thanks! I’ve been studying on my own for about 15 years with computer programs and classes at a community college. Finally, this past May, I spent four weeks in Guatemala studying Spanish at a Spanish language school and will return there next week for another month. Also, I watch a lot of Spanish language shows on Netflix… Just haven’t gotten to where I want to be though…
Sounds like you can handle yourself though! I’m sure you’ll be fine, at least you have a base in the language which many people don’t. In some places in Spain (like the coasts) you honestly don’t even need Spanish…and many expats can’t be bothered which is a shame.
But sounds like you have nothing to worry about, if you have the basics down you just need some time on the ground. And like me you have a Latina wife to help you out 🙂
My wife is my crutch… much to her dismay… Even our two sons are completely fluent in Spanish!
I have a question about language… Did you speak Spanish before you moved to Spain? If not, what level do you consider your Spanish now, and how long did it take for you to become comfortable and/or conversant in Spanish?
Yes, we spoke Spanish. Lissette is Latina and although rusty (born and raised in US) she’s at about 95%. I’m at about 75%, good enough to get by in any situation but sometimes hard to keep up with a conversation especially if someone talks “local”.
What level were you when you first moved to Spain versus now? How long did it take to feel comfortable/conversant in the language?
Ha! I don’t know if my Spanish has gotten any better at all. First of all, take classes, my experience is you don’t “pick up” a language. Taking classes is how I learned Spanish in the first place and I recommend doing it as soon as you can. The great thing is many towns/cities have free classes for expats (I’ve just been busy on other things. I should be taking a few refresher courses). Secondly, get ready for “Spanish Spanish” ie.Castilian – even my Latina wife has had issues with the Spanish here. Much more difficult than Latin American Spanish. So it’s a bit of an adjustment.