Located in the western part of the La Axarquía region just 17km from the provincial capital Malaga is the pretty Andalucian village Moclinejo

It sits in some of the most stunning landscapes of the area overlooked by the Córdoba hill in the north and the Piedrasblancas hill. The terrain around the village is especially steep and cut by deep ravines due to the proximity of the village to the Málaga mountains

The village is famous for been the site of a historic event in 1483 when a Christian army of 2,700 cavalry and 1,000 infantry marched in to the village. The army found nothing worth taking and proceeded to set fire to the community. Following this the Muslim inhabitants of the village emerged from the castle that they had taken refuge in and from the high rocks fired arrows down onto the Christian army below. There were heavy losses and in response a ravine in the area was named “Hoya de los Muertos” (Valley of the Dead), a name that still remains to this day.

The main centre of the village is the Plaza de España where the most notable buildings can be found

The most outstanding building in the village is the Santa María church which is located in below the village . The church was built in the 16^th century and was then modified in the 17^th century.

An interesting place to visit is the Manchón de las Minas which can be found about two kilometers north of the village Here you can find the entrances to some mines which were for silver but due to the fact that more water came out of them than the ground could drain the mines could not be worked and were closed.

One of the main reasons for visiting the village is for the hiking. There are some interesting routes including one that starts at the village and goes past the south side of the Piedrasblancas peak westward to Totalán or another one that begins in the same place but heads north to the headwaters of the Totalán stream

Information on all the routes can be obtained from the local tourist office.

.Popular fiestas in the village include the fiesta in honor of San Bernabé which is held on the weekend closest to 24 August.

Events include a children’s ring race on bicycles and other games and the saint’s procession though the streets. After the procession everyone heads for the verbena (traditional street party).

There is also a Noche Flamenca (Flamenco Night) on the Saturday and a Rocío mass on Sunday

On the 25 April { the day of San Marcos} the locals prepare “hornazos”, which is a spiral pastry made with olive oil and with an egg in the centre and called “palomita” (little dove) due to the way the dough is shaped. The villagers generally go out to the country on this day to have a picnic lunch..

Tourist Information: Town Hall: Plaza de España, 7 (29738). Telephone: 952 400 586; Fax: 952 400 505