Romantic Antequera: The City of Ballad and Chronicle

(5 reviews)

Antequera audio tour: Romantic Antequera: The City of Ballad and Chronicle

This is a 2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Antequera

Spain

$9.99

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About the Tour

The stone tombs at the UNESCO-listed Antequera Dolmens Site put Antequera on the tourist map. But there are plenty of other reasons to visit this charming Andalucían city, where a variety of cultures and civilisations have settled since prehistoric times.

On this walking tour, you‘ll learn how Muslims and Christians battled for control of this strategic stronghold at the crossroads of Andalucía. You’ll also discover why it had romantic appeal for visitors like writer Washington Irving, who was in search of the legendary Spain of ‘ballad and chronicle‘.

The tour starts in Plaza Coso Viejo beside the city museum, Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera. From there, you‘ll wind your way up to the Arco de los Gigantes – the magnificent gateway into the Muslim medina – and the Alcazaba de Antequera citadel. As you explore, you‘ll find out how Ferdinand of Antequera changed the city‘s destiny, and discover picturesque legacies of the city‘s Moorish past like the Puerta del Agua (Gate of Water) and Torre Torcida (Twisted Tower). The final part of the tour will take you through the district the Christians built in the 15 to 1700s. Before the tour ends in Plaza de San Sebastian, you‘ll take in the area‘s wealth of Renaissance and Baroque churches, convents and monasteries.

On this 90-minute Antequera tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

Soak up the wonderful views of Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers‘ Rock) and El Torcal from viewpoints like Mirador de las Almenillas, Mirador Calle San Salvador, and Mirador Iglesia del Carmen
Find out how Michael Hoskin helped to decipher Antequera‘s ancient past and get a birds-eye view of the Termas Romanas de Santa María (Roman baths)
Admire Renaissance and Baroque churches like the Capilla del Portichuelo, Iglesia del Carmen, and Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor
Learn about the ups and downs of Antequera‘s textile industry as you stroll along a pleasant river valley
Discover the city‘s proud culinary traditions based on high-quality local produce
Have the chance to buy cakes from a cloistered nun without setting eyes on her
Find out where the secret treasure is hidden!

By the end of this tour, you‘ll understand why Antequera really is at the heart of Andalucía – geographically, historically, culturally and gastronomically.

Tour Producer

Ben Barclay

18 tours

When I moved to Granada in 2006, I initially intended to stay for a year or two. Maybe three or four at most. But like many people, I was captivated by the city’s history and culture, as well as its strategic location close to the sea and in the shadow of the imposing Sierra Nevada mountains. Having travelled widely before I came here, I knew that Granada was special. Little by little I became a local – a “Granaíno”. As well as enjoying everything Granada has to offer, I love exploring the cities and countryside of Andalucía, and my wife and I recently set up the travel website Andalucía Bound (andalucia-bound.com), which offers inspiration and practical advice for visitors to Andalucía. We're also keen hikers, and for fifteen years we've been running the website treksierranevada.com, with information about self-guided hikes in the Sierra Nevada.

In 2011, I co-founded the educational publisher LinguaFrame S.L., which produces textbooks in English for Spanish secondary schools, and I'm the author and editor of fifteen history, geography and science textbooks. I also work as a government-authorised translator, with my specialist areas including historical and cultural texts for museums and advertising material related to tourism.

Preview Location

Location 15

Alcazaba viewpoint

Keep on the left-hand pavement with the parked cars to your right, and then stop when you get a good view back across to the Alcazaba.

This reminds me of the views across the Alhambra in Granada, albeit on a smaller scale. The tower furthest to the left is the Tower of Homa... Keep on the left-hand pavement with the parked cars to your right, and then stop when you get a good view back across to the Alcazaba.

This reminds me of the views across the Alhambra in Granada, albeit on a smaller scale. The tower furthest to the left is the Tower of Homage or Keep. The little bell tower on the top was added by the Christians in the 1500s. For years, the bell served as the town’s clock.

In the early years after the conquest of Antequera, this was still a frontier territory, and the Christians were vulnerable to Muslim attacks, so they stayed within the walled town on the hill opposite.

Ferdinand of Antequera had very nearly united the crowns of Castile and Aragón, but it was only after his grandson and namesake Ferdinand II of Aragón’s dynastic marriage to Isabella I of Castile that the foundations were laid for modern Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella also completed the Christian conquest of Granada in 1492. The newly conquered territories were distributed among the nobles who had distinguished themselves in battle, and people were given incentives to settle in towns like Antequera.

Earlier on I said that Antequera is the strategic crossroads of Andalucía, but while the Muslims still had control of Granada and Málaga, it was a crossroads to nowhere. Now the town could grow and develop. It expanded beyond the medina walls, and many churches, monasteries and mansions were built, including the church and chapel here.

Let's get going again. We’ll continue past the viewpoint and take the steps down to the left.

But before we leave this street let me tell you about a couple of places further down it. The bar El Reloj is a friendly place with excellent food and a covered terrace with great views of the Alcazaba. And if you carry on about 300m further to the edge of town, you get a wider panoramic view that also takes in the Rock of the Lovers – for me, probably the best view of Antequera.

Anyway, as I said, we're taking the steps down to the left. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Plaza Coso Viejo
Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera (MVCA)
Fuente del Toro
Mirador de las Almenillas
Alcazaba
Arco de los Gigantes
Homenaje a Michael Hoskin
Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor
Termas romanas de Santa María
Mirador Calle San Salvador
Barbacanas
Portichuelo chapel
Parroquia de San Juan Bautista
Ermita de la Virgen de la Espera - Puerta de Málaga
Puerta del agua
Torre Torcida
Iglesia del Carmen
Mirador Iglesia del Carmen
Torreón de asalto
Convento de San José (Carmelitas descalzas)
Convento de la Encarnación
Iglesia de Ntra Sra de Loreto
Convento San Agustín
Parroquia San Sebastián
Plaza San Sebastián

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Pl. Guerrero Muñoz, 29200 Antequera, Málaga, Spain
Total distance

3km
Final location
Pl. San Sebastián, 29200 Antequera, Málaga, Spain
Distance back to start location

125.13m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts in the Plaza Coso Viejo, in the centre of Antequera, next to the statue of Ferdinand of Antequera on horseback.

It’s about half an hour’s walk from Antequera’s train station, or a short taxi ride. The bus station is about 15 minutes’ walk away.

Antequera is conveniently located near the junction of the A45 and A92 motorways, only about 45 minutes’ drive from Málaga airport. There are various free car parks on the edge of the town, for example near the Puerta de Granada, as well as paid parking in the town centre.

It's an easy day-trip from Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, Seville or Ronda.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

We'll be walking up and down steep hills and along cobbled streets, so you'll need comfortable shoes. Sunblock and a bottle of water are also essential if the weather is warm and sunny. In summer, I recommend doing the tour in the morning, before it gets too hot.

Best time of day

Along the way, we’ll pass the Alcazaba and various other sights you can go into (entry fees are not included in this tour). And I’ll also point out some bars and cafés where you can stop for refreshments.

Precautions

Any time, but mid-week is usually less crowded. Some sights are closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays, as well as for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, so it's good idea to check opening times in advance.

In summer, I recommend doing the tour in the morning, before it gets too hot.

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