In a basement peña (members´club) on an unseasonably warm night, we watch Carmen Camacho give a breath-taking, bravura performance. We head off on the Friday afternoon of a bank holiday, firstly to Veléz (check out my friend’s excellent website about the town) for a night of flamenco. Carmen Camacho at the Peña Nino de Vélez, in Vélez Málaga.This time we were going to stay one night with our friends, and the other at the hotel. We already know the Axarquía a little, having stayed at the very comfortable and beautifully situated La Viñuela hotel, which overlooks the stunning emerald-green reservoir of the same name, and visited friends in Vélez-Málaga, a small, charming town with an Arabic fortress and a lively arts scene. In subsequent correspondence, her promptness in replying, and flexibility in dealing with our ever-changing arrangements, give me even more confidence. I’m convinced immediately by Maria’s first email inviting my family try out their company’s services: her flawless English, her enthusiasm and efficiency. They are passionate about sharing their region with visitors, bringing them closer to its culture, history and gastronomy of the region by meeting Axarquia natives and learning about their traditional skills and crafts. Hailing from Velez-Malaga, the Axarquía’s main town, the dynamic young entrepreneurs each speak at least two foreign languages (English, German, French, Italian), have studied and lived abroad. Hilltop villages, connected by snake-like windy roads precipitous terraces planted with olive and almond trees, and grapevines, producing sun-dried raisins are and sweet wine and hectares of avocado and mango. This region inland from the Costa del Sol, in eastern Malaga province, is nothing like as well known as the nearby coastline. Now that tourism in Andalucia has resumed, rural excursions and small groups will be favoured by some travellers over urban destinations, which is just the bag of the outfit which invited us to the Axarquía – Ole t rips, set up by Cipri and Maria in 2018.
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