The luscious Andalusian city of Antequera is blessed with splendid views of the Sierra el Torcal Mountains and houses some of the greatest monumental treasures in all of Andalusia. The Santa Maria Collegiate Church is the finest example of Andalusian Renaissance architecture and the dolmen complex of Menga, Viera and El Romeral are the most significant of its kind in Europe.

 

Antequera Golf, the impressive 6000 metre, 18-hole Golf Course set amidst the spectacular natural park is every golfer’s dream-come-true. Olive and acorn trees as well as natural herb plants give this golf course its special Andalusian character. The unique topography promises golfers an exciting game with lots of choices for playing every hole according to their golfing level.

 

Antequera is located just one hour away from Cordoba and Granada, 1 ¾ hours away from Sevilla and just 35 minutes away from Malaga. Its good roads and close proximity to other major Andalusian cities make it easy to get to.

Antequera is rich in ancient history dating between 2,500 BC and 1,800 BC, when the inhabitants of the time built some of the most massive dolmens (tombs constructed out of boulders) in Europe. Antequera represented an important centre in the Roman era as well as in the Muslim times, when it was a favoured centre of the Granada Emirs. Continue to read and discover the site seeing attractions of Antequera.

It is impossible to fully appreciate the monumental and artistic wealth of Antequera in a single day. However, the one advantage is that most of the important sites are concentrated in the historic town centre and can all be visited by foot. Begin your tour at random from any starting point and just go on from one monument to the next without any interruption. With so much to see though, it is advisable to plan your itinerary in advance.

 

Dolmenic Complex: The city of Antequera is home to the most prominent megalithic complex comprising the dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral. What makes this dolmen complex so fascinating is the fact that they were all in such close proximity to each other despite being built during different eras. The Menga and the Viera are especially close together.

 

The Menga dolmen, built in 2500 BC, is the most ancient and is the only dolmen to be covered with anthropomorphic inscriptions. It is covered by colossal slabs, one of which weighs as much as 180 metric tons. The Viera dolmen, a sepulcher, was constructed in 2000 BC and comprises a chamber and corridor that are formed by five gigantic slabs, which have been preserved. The El Romeral, built in 1800 BC, was different from the other two in that a primitive false dome was constructed for the purpose of covering the corridor.

 

Churches and Convents: The most distinguished of Antequera’s religious architecture are the Church of San Sebastian and the Collegiate Church of Santa María, which were constructed during the Renaissance period.

 

The Collegiate Church of Santa María, constructed between 1514 and 1550, was the first Renaissance building erected in Andalusia. The belfries and towers of its many convents and churches are very prominent and the interior is noted for the colossal Ionic columns, which separate the three naves. A Gothic-Mudéjar vault covers the quadrangular main chapel and an intricate Mudéjar roof frame covers each of the three naves.

 

San Sebastián Plaza is a charming little square with a Renaissance fountain right in the centre. The fountain was erected in 1545 and designed by Pedro Machuca. The Colegiata de San Sebastián, constructed around the same era, features a plateresque entrance designed by Diego de Vergara. It has the tallest brick tower in the town. The church houses a treasure trove of sculpture and paintings.

 

The collections of the Municipal Museum are housed within the Nájera Palace, an impressive Baroque edifice. One of the most striking pieces among this collection is the “Efebo de Antequera” (Youth of Antequera), a bronze hollow figure of a young boy, which is dated back to the 1st century AD. 

 

The churches of San Juan de Dios, El Carmen, Madre de Dios, Belén, Santiago, San José (Descalzas) and Los Remedios are representative of the architecture during the Baroque period.

 

Some of the other striking structures include the Consistorial Palace, which was a convent for the “Padres Terceros” in the XVII and XVIII centuries; the church of the Royal Monastery (San Francisco), which has been declared a national monument; the Gothic San Zoilo, which was discovered in the year 1500 by the Catholic Monarchs and the convent of San Agustin.

 

Popular Fairs: The Semana Santa (Holy Week), a religious festival celebrated in Antequera, is one of the most traditional and established in all of Andalusia. Though Holy Week is celebrated in all Andalusian cities, the celebrations in Antequera have a distinctive characteristic that are unique from all others.

 

The Spring Fair or Feria de Primavera, which is held at the end of May is famous throughout the region and attracts visitors from different parts of Andalusia. The highlight of this fair is the important bullfights that form an integral part of it.

 

The August fair or The Feria de Agosto is a colourful conglomeration of activities including “cante jondo” flamenco, open-air dancing, jazz, pop music and bullfights in which the most celebrated matadors participate.

Antequera’s principle industries are tourism and agriculture.

The most prominent dish of Antequera is the “porra antequerana”, which is made up of bread, peppers and tomato. No less famous is the “molletes”, bread made with local olive oil and of Arabic origin.

 

Antequera is unbeatable when it comes to the pastries of this region. The famous sweets including alfajores, mantecados and polvorones, which are specially made around Christmas time, come from the cloistered convents and are highly sought after all over Andalusia. One of the most distinctive pastries of this region is bienmesabe, made from cinnamon, almonds, “cabello de angel”, which is made from honey and pumpkin and “bizcocho”.

 

Tapas tasting is as established a custom in Antequera as it is anywhere in Spain and there are numerous tapas bars strewn all over the city offering a limitless variety of tapas including those made of ribs, eggplant, stewed rice, potatoes, and an assortment of pork products.

Though not exactly brimming with life after dark, a night out in Antequera offers plenty of opportunities to experiment with different types of cuisine. Tapas bars and restaurants serving a variety of delicious Spanish dishes abound, beckoning you to enter and sample the exotic ware. Don’t miss the Caso San Francisco, which serves some splendid traditional Antequeran cuisine. Looking for something completely different? Try out some of the Indian dishes at the Curry House or the Chinese food at The Big Wok.

History buff or not, all visitors would do well to keep more than one day to appreciate all the monuments and churches that Antequera has to offer. All monuments are within walking distance of each other, calling for an impromptu city walk-about. The impressive Dolmenic Complex is different from all others in Europe and is not to be missed.

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