Archidona, Malaga tourist information
Villages of Malaga province and Andalucia, Spain travel information

Archidona Malaga

Archidona stands at the foot of the Pico del Conjuro mountain amidst olive groves and meadows, on the road that links Antequera with the province of Granada.

It boasts a myriad of sites and elements of natural and urban interest. Grande and Chica Lagoons and La Hoz de Arroyo Martin are examples of the former, while the Octagonal Square, a construction built in the Mudejar style and inspired by French urbanism is the pick of the latter.

Other interesting monuments include the Virgen de Gracia Sanctuary, built on the ruins of the old castle, the Nazarene Chapel and the old granary building.

Historical notes

Archidona dates back to prehistoric times, as proven by important archaeological findings pertaining to the Palaeolithic period.

The first major settlers in the area were the túrdulos.

The Phoenicians began the construction of the village walls.

The village was an important strategic location for the Carthaginians, who reinforced its walls. It was crucial in the war against the Romans.

During the Roman era, it was known as Arx Domina, the Arabs modified this to Arxiduna, which is the origin of its present-day name.

The Moslem occupation consisted of several stages. Following the proclamation of Abderraman I as emir of Cordoba in 756, Archidona, a dependency of the aforementioned city, became the capital of the cora (region) of Rayya (an area which, roughly speaking, coincided with the modern-day province of Malaga). It was in the thick of the muladi (Christian convert to Islam) rebellion of the late 9th and early 10th centuries, led by Ben Hafsun, who turned it into a fortified town. In 907, it was conquered again, this time by the emir Abd Allah. And, when Bobastro, a fortress at the centre of Omar Ben Hafsun’s rebellion, fell into the hands of Abderraman III in 928, it was the start of a period of great prosperity for the region, in which commerce, industry and agriculture blossomed. However, this period of splendour ended with the political and economic division which accompanied the era known as the Taifa Kingdom period; by the end of the 11th century, the village’s lands were abandoned and impoverished.

In 1238 Archidona became a dependency of the Nazari Kingdom of Granada, and it experienced its second boom, this time largely due to the silk trade. Before long, however, a new turn of events shattered the commercial links of the whole region: the 14th century saw the start of the Christian campaigns in the area, which became a border zone and its territory suffered frequent pillaging.

It was finally conquered in 1462 by Don Pedro de Giron, Grand Master of Calatrava.

Archidona’s present-day location dates back to the 16th century, when construction began on the area known as Villa Baja.

The village’s long and eventful history, coupled with the desire of its inhabitants to preserve the artistic heritage born of the key role played by the village down the years, has resulted in Archidona being declared a Village of Historical and Artistic Importance.

Tourist information about Archidona:

Town council: Plaza de la Victoria, S/N - 29300 Málaga
Phone: +34 952 71 40 61
Official website: Ayuntamiento de Archidona.

Malaga to Archidona:

There are excellent connections between Malaga airport and Archidona so you can reach this place in 45 minutes (62 km distance by car). Find the cheapest car hire Malaga airport rates and see how to get from Malaga airport to Archidona.