Vélez-Málaga

The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista or the Church of San Juan Bautista is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to John the Baptist, in Vélez-Málaga, in the province of Málaga, Spain. It is an art-historical monument that, over time, has undergone multiple architectural changes to its structure based on existing trends. The original church dates from 1487 and was built in the Gothic-Mudejar style. In that same century it was remodeled and between 1541 and 1564, Fray Bernardo Manrique, the then bishop, carried out further expansion, building the tower at this time.Significant changes were made during the Baroque period, traces of which still remain. Further reforms were carried out in the late eighteenth century. This involved the decoration of the sacristy, an extraordinary piece, built in 1789, and attributed to José Martín de Aldehuela. Its portal is accessed through a lobby with Evangelio nave, has fine stucco decoration with vegetal elements and apocalyptic symbols. The main changes carried out to the original church were done between 1853 and 1860, by Bishop Juan Nepomuceno Castellana, from which it acquired its neoclassical imprint. These works were commissioned by attorney Federico Vahey, then minister of Grace and Justice under Isabel II. He ordered the construction of the funerary chapel to be dedicated to the worship of San Federico, now known as the Cristo de las Vigías.

Torre del Mar is a locality on the southern coast of Spain, part of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga, Axarquía, located in the province of Málaga. It is a popular summer tourist resort for Spanish people.

Toscanos (in Spanish Cortijo de Los Toscanos) is the name of an Andalusian cortijo near Vélez-Málaga in southern Spain, and was the location of an early Phoenician settlement.The Phoenician name of the settlement is unknown. The modern toponym of Toscanos is due to Italian migrants who arrived in the area in the 18th century during the reign of Charles III.

Benamocarra is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 5 kilometres from Vélez-Málaga and 41 from Málaga, the provincial capital. It has a population of approximately 3,000 residents. The natives are called Benamocarreños. Its mayor since 2003 (reelected in 2007) is Abdeslam Jesús Aoulad Ben Salem Lucena of the Partido Andalucista. He was the first and still is the only, Spanish mayor of Moroccan origin. He is a member of the National Executive of the P.A., and was candidate for this party at the 2008 autonomous elections.

Bentomiz Castle is an ancient Moorish fortress built on a hill near the village of Arenas in the province of Málaga. It sits at a height of 711 metres (2,333 ft), and lies to the northeast of Vélez-Málaga.The castle site is thought to have been occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, although it is not clear which parts of the ruins date to which period. Roman baths have been found there. The berbers built on the existing structure. The fortress, then called Munt Mās, was mentioned in the memoirs of Abdallah ibn Buluggin, ruler of the Taifa of Granada in the eleventh century. He described it as a formidable stronghold. The fortress surrendered to him during a civil war that he fought with his brother Tamim.When Ferdinand II of Aragon reached the area en route to Vélez-Málaga, in the campaign that culminated in the Siege of Málaga (1487), the Granadan Sultan El Zagal brought a force to oppose them which he stationed around the Bentomiz castle. The Moors attacked the Christian siege train during the night of 25 April 1487 but were repulsed, and in panic retreated towards Granada. The castle was taken over by the Catholic Monarchs in 1487 and maintained as a defensive post. The castle is now ruined, but there are still towers, walls and underground chambers.

Arenas is a municipality in the province of Málaga located in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is situated in the comarca of Axarquía. By way of road it is located 12 kilometers from Vélez-Málaga, 50 km from Málaga and 577 km from Madrid. It is located northwest of the Axarquia, between the sierras of Tejeda and Almijara and the Castle of Bentomiz. Arenas enjoys a lush natural setting, where the streams, oak and pomegranate provide plenty of water resulting in a rich vegetation. It is a Moorish village where grapevine and olive were the main crops and still are an important element in the landscape and its economy, producing sweet, dry or semi-dry wine. The municipality is bordered to the south by Algarrobo, to the east by Sayalonga, to the north by Canillas de Albaida, Salares, Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno, in the extreme northwest corner with La Viñuela and to the west by Vélez-Málaga. This is a town very close to the Costa del Sol and the Mediterranean beaches typical of Andalusia and forms a rural and residential tourism that is beginning to develop.

Algarrobo is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated in the coastal area of La Axarquía, 32 kilometers from the city of Málaga. It is bordered on the north by the municipality of Arenas and Sayalonga, to the east and west by Vélez-Málaga and to the south by the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated at an altitude of 86 meters. The main center for the population is Algarrobo, a town of Arab architecture situated 3.5 kilometers from the coast. Other towns in the municipality are Algarrobo Costa, Mezquitilla and Trayamar. It has a population of approximately 5,000 residents. Natives of the town are called Algarrobeños. Its surface area is 9.73 km2 and has a density of 639.16 inhabitants/km2.

Caleta de Vélez is a village in the Spanish province of Málaga, Andalusia. It belongs to Vélez-Málaga and it is in Axarquía. It is 35 kilometers away from Málaga. Its population is about 3659 people. It has 4.2 km² of area.

Sayalonga is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It belongs to the comarca of La Axarquía. The municipality is situated approximately 38 kilometres from the capital of Málaga and 12 kilometres from Vélez Málaga. It has a population of approximately 1,300 residents. The natives are called Sayalonguinos. In 1867 there was a regrouping into new municipal units in which the village of Corumbela became part of the municipality of Sayalonga.

Benajarafe is a town located on the coast of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga, Spain, in the heart of Axarquia, a region that lies on the Eastern Costa del Sol, in the province of Málaga. It is located 9 kilometres from Torre del Mar and 20 kilometres from the provincial capital Malaga. It enjoys one of the best climates in Europe, with summers of full sun and a calm sea that imitates the tranquillity of the town. It is connected by the Mediterranean Motorway (E-15) north of the city, in the direction of Malaga to Almeria.

Moclinejo is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It belongs to the comarca of La Axarquía. The municipality is situated approximately 27 kilometres from Málaga and 558 km from Madrid. It has a population of approximately 1200 residents. The natives are called Moclinejenses or Conejos as a nickname.

For the soil type, see oxisol.Torrox is a municipality in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It belongs to the comarca of Axarquía. It is located in the Costa del Sol (specifically the Costa del Sol Oriental), on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the foothills of the Sierra de Almijara. It is frequented especially by German and British tourists. The city itself is divided into sections: Torrox Costa on the sea and Torrox Pueblo, 4 km inland. Torrox Park, a housing section in between the costa and the village, could be seen as another division. Torrox is near Nerja. With an average annual temperature of 18 degrees, it claims to have "the best weather in Europe."