The Axarquia is located in the most eastern part of the province, it is the Malaga region that covers the largest number of municipalities. In the north of the Axarquia the mountain ranges lie like a protective arch, the Sierras de Jobo, Sierra Camarolos, Sierra Prieta and Sierras Alhama, Tejeda and Almijara, which has also been declared a natural park. It is an area with enormous resources and a great tourist interest. The visitor will find natural areas, mountains, slopes, rivers, a reservoir, etc., but can also enjoy the local wines and dishes.
Demographic characteristics
The “Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía” annually determines the number of inhabitants. Here the figures are taken from the municipal registrations. We looked at the country of birth of the people who were registered with a municipality in the Costa del Sol – Axarquia region.
The figures show the following: a total of 34,293 foreigners lived in the Axarquia in 2017, 16.45% of the total population. Of these, 21,827 were European, this was 10.47% of the total population in the Axarquia region.
The largest groups of foreigners were: English (8,429), Americans (8,111), Africans (4,365) and Moroccans (3,786). The largest groups of Europeans are after the English; Germans (3,302), Romanians (1,635) and French (1,167).
The majority of Europeans live in:
- Vélez Málaga: 4,596 people corresponding to 5.75% of the population. The largest group are the Romanians with 929 people.
- Nerja: 4.160 people corresponding to 19.77% of the population. The largest group is the English with 1,736 people.
- Torrox: 3,116 people corresponding to 20.27% of the population. The largest group are the English with 1,113 people and Germans 918 people.
- Rincón de la Victoria: 2,029 people corresponding to 4.50% of the population. The largest group are the French with 310 people.
However, if we look at the number of foreigners as a percentage of the total population, names of villages that are more remote will appear; especially villages inland near the nature park.
Accessibility Axarquía
Málaga-Costa del Sol aeropuerto: this airport is located just outside the city of Malaga. The distance from Vélez Málaga is 50 km (35 minutes). There are a total of 110 destinations, including Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradfort, Liverpool, London, Manchester, New Castle, Shannon, Southend Sen. Click here for all destinations.
Highways: the A-7 connects Malaga with Nerja. The A7 is also called the “autovia de mediterraneo” and connects Algeciras with Barcelona. The N-340 is a local road and connects all the coastal villages. In order to travel from South to North the A-402 / A-356 connects Vélez Málaga with
Bus: The main municipalities are connected by various intercity and urban bus routes, which can be consulted on the following link.
The climate of the region Axarquia
The climate in Vélez-Málaga is classified as warm and temperate. There is more rain in winter than in summer in Vélez-Málaga. This climate is considered Csa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average annual temperature in Vélez-Málaga is 18.1 ° C. About 428 mm of precipitation falls annually. The least amount of precipitation falls in July. with an average of 2 mm. Most of the rain falls in November with an average of 69 mm. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 ° C. January has the lowest average temperature of the year, so it’s only 11.5 ° C.
The beaches of the Axarquía
The coast of the Axarquía consists of a landscape of cliffs and bays, of defenses and watchtowers, of natural beaches and orchards, of tradition and tourism. The coastline starts in Nerja, a municipality with impressive cliffs (Maro-Cerro Gordo) declared a nature park, with in Nerja not forgetting the famous caves. Via the coastal road N340 one arrives through the historic white cities of Torrox and Algarrobo, which managed to combine tourism with their traditions. After this, the port of Caleta de Vélez is situated with its yachts and fishing boats. Following the road towards Malaga one arrives through Torre del Mar with its enormous long boulevard with all kinds of facilities such as a library, senorenstrand, children’s beach, dog beach and sports facilities. Vélez Málaga, capital of the Axarquía region, is next door. It is a city full of surprises rich in history, such as the castle and Arabic monuments. The coastal road then passes several small villages with their beaches and Rincón de la Victoria, a fishing village that is adapted to the new tourism.