| If you think you have seen all that Spain has to offer, | | | | city. |
| or maybe you feel that it is a country able only to | | | | Driving from Malaga, and the nearest international |
| provide sun, sand, Sangria and silly hats on even sillier | | | | airport along the A45 autovia, your first glimpses of |
| people, you need to think again. If you've been to | | | | Antequera and 'The Indian rock' evoke feeings that |
| Ronda, Alhaurin el Grande, Arcos, Frigiliana or one of | | | | cannot be explained. Maybe the fact that Antequera is |
| the innumerable other white towns in Andalucia, and | | | | not just another typical white Spanish medieval town |
| think you seen all you need to see, you are wrong. | | | | begins to permeate the senses. The towering spires |
| Antequera has lots more to offer you than any of the | | | | of the many ancient churches and the walls and |
| former. | | | | towers of the great Moorish Alcazaba dominate the |
| If you like fine church architecture, or just fine buildings | | | | town, whilst sprawling across the valleys below are |
| in beautiful surroundings, good food, great wine, nice | | | | rich farmlands and olive groves watered by the |
| people and the enjoyment of an ideal city break | | | | Guadalhorce River. |
| destination, this is where you might just have struck | | | | Antequera is a step back in time, and yet it's blend of |
| lucky! A city break in 'RealSpain' in Antequera will open | | | | modernity is there to be seen. For over a 1000 years |
| your eyes to what Spain is really all about! With it's | | | | this has been one of Andalucía's most productive |
| fabulous and manifold churches, ancient monuments | | | | areas, and a leading provider of olives, asparagus and |
| and architecture, the historic city of Antequera, in the | | | | cereal crops. In summer, its fields are abundant with |
| province of Malaga, Andalucia (Andalusia), in southern | | | | yellow sunflowers. The town and ferile valley are |
| Spain, is truly a hidden gem. | | | | overlooked by an enormous peak of rock, called La |
| It lies at the crossroads of major highways and train | | | | Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". |
| links between Granada - Malaga - Seville - Cordoba | | | | The name derives from the well known local legend |
| and Huelva. It is also on the main AVE high speed train | | | | about a doomed love affair between a young |
| link from Malaga to Madrid, and indeed, this makes the | | | | Christian lad from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish |
| centre of Madrid, a mere 2 hours travelling time away. | | | | lass from Archidona nearby. Legend has it that "they |
| Antequera an ideal city break destination with it's | | | | were pursued to the top of the cliff by Moorish |
| proximity to some of Spain's most prominent historical | | | | soldiers, where, rather than forsake their love, for each |
| cites, along with it's own abundance of some of the | | | | other, they chose to fling themselves to their deaths |
| best sights and experiences in Spain. | | | | into the chasm hundreds of metres below". - On a |
| Take for example it's many ancient and splendid | | | | lighter note, the feature is known by many of the |
| churches, cathedrals and convents. These, along with | | | | expat locals as the 'Indian Rock', because of it's |
| the Domenes, (or pre-historic caves), the 'El Torcal | | | | resemblance to the face in profile of a North American |
| Montagnes' (dramatic mountains with astounding | | | | native. Well worth a visit for a day, week or even |
| antediluvian rock formations as well as incredible vistas | | | | longer if you are a golfer. Antequera hosts one of the |
| of the Costa Del Sol over 50 kilometres distant), make | | | | best Golf courses in the region, along with it's own 4 |
| the city a place to visit time and time again. | | | | star hotel. |
| Antequera, as well as being one of the best kept | | | | If you prefer something a little more flexible and a lot |
| towns in Andalucia, is also one of Spain's best kept | | | | less costly, try self-catering accommodation in |
| secrets! As Washington Irving was once said to have | | | | Antequera. Try to find somewhere in the city, and, |
| remarked - "A visit to this historical Andalucían town | | | | preferably in the 'Zona Antiguo', it is right in the midst of |
| is a journey almost 5,000 years back through time, | | | | many of Spain's most ancient buildings and |
| beginning with the Bronze Age and the original native | | | | monuments, such as the Alcazaba, which originates |
| Iberians". With it's ancient burial mounds, dolmenes, | | | | back to Moorish Spain, and close to all amenities |
| Roman baths, Moorish Fortress, Gothic churches, | | | | including, fine restaurants, tapas bars, cafes and shops |
| Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers, | | | | and stores. |
| Antequera is indutiably a fascinating and remarkable | | | | |