Competa:
The name of the village derives from the Latin, Compita-Orum, which means 'the crossing of the ways' or 'the meeting place' and it was originally a meeting place for the Romans, who also celebrated various festivals here.
The village which is very steep in places and covers one side of the Sierra Almijara Mountains, is also known locally as the Cornice of the Mediterranean. Horse riding, swimming, hand gliding and tennis are all available in the village. Water sports are a 25 minute drive away on the coast. Snow sports are a 2 hrs drive away in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. The surrounding countryside is an area renowned for its varied and interesting walks.
TRANSPORT: Cars can be hired in the village or at Malaga airport. There is an air-conditioned bus service three times a day from Cómpeta to Malaga via the coast, stopping at most of the villages and sights on the way.
The Village:
Competa village is 635 metres above sea level, more than 320 days of sun each year, surrounded by a 4,000 hectares wide wildlife reserve, the Sierra Almijara, with peaks as high as 2,068 metres.
A stunningly beautiful natural park where you can go horse riding or if you like walking you can go for walks to encounter mountain goats, eagles and very rich vegetation. Yet the sandy beaches and coastal villages of Axarquia are also very near.
Competa has 35 bars and restaurants with good food offering excellent tapas and meals at low prices.
Places to Visit Frigiliana and Nerja:
Once a sleepy fishing village, the town now has a population of over 12,000.
Nerja boasts 16 kilometres of beaches with powdery sand and sparkling clear water. All major water sports are available here, including water skiing, scuba diving and sailing.
Flanked by a dramatic mountain range, Sierra Almijara, to the east, the town has, fortunately, managed to avoid being blighted by the concrete high-rise scenario which has been the inevitable result of the tourist boom in some of the coastal resorts. The old quarter of the town is still virtually unchanged with narrow, winding streets, whitewashed houses with wrought iron terraces overflowing with geraniums, on which a canary can sometimes be heard singing...
However, the heart of Nerja is its spectacular Balcón de Europa, the 'Balcony of Europe', a magnificent promenade along the edge of a towering cliff, once the site of the great Moorish castle, with sweeping panoramic views of the Mediterranean and the small coves and beaches.
Other Activities:
Snow sports are 2hrs drive away in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains.
