- Mudejar — a Christian building that still uses Islamic craft: brick, patterned plaster, wooden ceilings, a square tower that began as a minaret.
- Minaret — the tower of a mosque, from which the call to prayer was made. After the conquest many were kept and turned into bell towers.
- Axarquia — the hills east of Malaga city, inland from the coast around Velez-Malaga.
Gothic and Mudejar Architecture in Malaga
Most of what is now Malaga province belonged to the Kingdom of Granada until the late fifteenth century. The city, Ronda and the Axarquia were taken by Ferdinand and Isabella. New parishes were set up from 1505. The churches that followed are late Gothic in the stonework — pointed arches, ribbed vaults over the altar — and Mudejar in the brick towers and wooden ceilings.
Two walks cover that layer. One runs from the city toward Ronda. The other stays in the Axarquia, where several church towers are old minarets with a belfry added on top. Related pages: Malaga, Ronda, the Axarquia, Velez-Malaga.
*Village churches often open only around mass. Towers are usually seen from the street. The Picasso Museum needs a ticket.
Words you will meet
Walk 1 — from Malaga city toward Ronda
In the city the first parish after the conquest was Santiago, on Calle Granada, near Plaza de la Merced. The doorway and the east end are late Gothic. The brick tower is Mudejar, with patterned panels on the outside. Picasso was baptised here.
- Church of Santiago — map
The sanctuary of La Victoria is later: Renaissance and Baroque more than Gothic. A short walk from Santiago, the Palace of the Counts of Buenavista is a sixteenth-century town house with Mudejar details. It is now the Picasso Museum.
On the road toward Ronda the same mix turns up in village churches: Cartama, Ardales, El Burgo and Parauta. They are small. Look at the doorway and the tower; do not expect a long interior visit.
Old hospital buildings survive as street fronts in Marbella (San Juan de Dios and the Bazan hospital) and in Coin (San Andres). They sit on the same drive if you are already on the coast road or the Guadalhorce valley.
Ronda is the stop that rewards a full hour. The church of El Espiritu Santo was begun right after the Christian conquest. Santo Domingo and the Franciscan convent keep the same late-medieval mix. The Mondragon Palace is a Nasrid house rebuilt for Christian owners: courtyards, tiles and a view over the gorge.
Walk 2 — the Axarquia
East of the city the hills were taken in 1487. Many village churches reuse the old mosque tower. The two that are easiest to see from the square are Archez and Salares: square brick minarets with patterned panels and a later belfry on top. Arenas, Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno belong to the same group of villages.
The list below is a set of towers and small parishes, not one afternoon. Pick two or three.
- Almachar — map
- El Borge — map
- Cutar — map
- Comares — map
- Benamargosa — map
- Benamocarra — map
- Canillas de Aceituno — map
- Salares — map
- Arenas — map
- Daimalos — map
- Archez — map
- Corumbela — map
Velez-Malaga is the market town in the middle. Santa Maria stands on the old fortress hill. San Francisco and Santa Cruz keep Mudejar details in the convent buildings. Park once and walk.
How to reach these churches
Santiago and the Picasso Museum are a walk from any hotel in Malaga centre. Ronda and the Axarquia villages need a car. Buses reach Velez-Malaga and Ronda. They do not stop beside every minaret in Archez or Salares.
Car hire: the flexible option
The practical way to link Archez and Salares, or to drive the inland road toward Ronda and stop in Cartama or El Burgo.
Hire a car at Malaga Airport
Taxi or private transfer
From Malaga Airport to your hotel, or a same-day return from the Costa to Ronda or Velez-Malaga if you want the town churches without driving the hills back.
Book a transfer*No credit-card details are required to request a quote. Village churches keep morning and evening hours around mass.
Other options
Local buses run from Malaga to Velez-Malaga, Competa and Ronda. For Archez or Salares you still need a taxi or a car from the last bus stop. The city churches in Malaga need no car once you have parked or arrived by bus.
Practical tips
- In the Axarquia the visit is often the tower from the square, not a long tour inside.
- Archez and Salares are the two minarets worth a dedicated stop.
- Santiago in Malaga city is free and close to the Picasso Museum.
- Roads in the Axarquia are narrow. Allow time between villages.
- Dress as for a working parish if you go in: shoulders covered.
Frequently asked questions about Gothic and Mudejar architecture in Malaga
Why is this called the old Kingdom of Granada?
Until the late fifteenth century most of today’s Malaga province belonged to Granada, not to Castile. The churches on this page were built after that conquest.
What is the difference between Gothic and Mudejar here?
Gothic is the pointed stone: doorways, ribs over the altar. Mudejar is the brick tower, the patterned panels and the wooden ceiling — Islamic craft on a Christian church.
Which two stops if I only have a morning in the city?
The church of Santiago and the Picasso Museum in the Palace of Buenavista, a short walk away.
Which Axarquia village has the best minaret?
Archez is the one people photograph. Salares is the close pair. Both are seen from the street.
Do I need a car?
Not for Santiago in Malaga. Yes if you want Archez, Salares or the inland road to Ronda.
Will the village churches be open?
Often only around mass, morning and early evening. The towers in Archez and Salares can be seen from the square even if the door is locked.
