Antequera Things to Do

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An Electric mini CITY SIGHTSEEING BUS - "Bus Turistico", navigates the narrow cobblestone streets of Antequera, to take in some of the monuments, churches and palaces, spread throughout the town. A few from our Hotel group (pics # 2 & #3), hopped on and enjoyed a comfortable ride, while taking in most of the sites Antequera has to offer. The bus goes slow enough to be able to take photos.
The tour starts at Plaza de San Sebastian. The tour includes the Bullring, Arco de los Gigantes and the Alcazaba where you will have a fabulous view of the town and Lover's Rock - Pena de los Enamorados.
Cost of the tour was 6 Euros.

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The MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF ANTEQUERA is located in the Palacio de Najera in the Plaza Coso Viejo. Also in the Plaza Coso Viejo, is the equestrian statue of the Infante Don Fernando, who conquered Antequera in 1410. You will also find the Convent of Santa Clara Catalina de Siena.

Museum is open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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The megalithic complex of Antequera, which has 3 impressive and monumental tombs which are very well preserved, is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe. The 3 most important tombs to date are the Viera, Menga, and El Romeral. They date from between 4,000 to 3,000 BC, which make them older than the pyramids of Egypt. The dolmens are architectural wonders, and it balks the imagination to think of the ingenuity and literally backbreaking work that was required to break, pull, and hoist slabs that weighed up to 250 tons through sheer muscle power. The objects (and presumably, skeletons) that were excavated from the sites are in the museum of Antequera. In the Menga dolmen (the bigger one), there is an intriguing well or shaft about 20 meters deep, very unusual for prehistoric sites, but which until now has puzzled even the experts. Note also the red drawings on some of the walls of Menga.

According to archeologists, the complex was built oriented towards La Peña, the mountain at the distance resempling a human face -- it seems plausible that the early settlers associated this mountain to a great Being. Many archeological studies are still being undertaken as more and more discoveries are being made around the area of prehistoric sites.

The dolmens are located just outside the town, just before the industrial area. It is a bit far to access without private transportation. The two dolmens (Viera and Menga) are adjacent to each other and just beside the Interpretation Center. El Romeral is about 3 kilometers away.

Entrance is free of charge, and they do not close for lunch break. Car parking is also available in the site.

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The municipal Museum, which is situated in an attractive former palace, is well worth a visit. Its most treasured possession is an Efebo, which is a bronze statue of a naked boy from Roman times. It is believed to have been unearthed by a local farmer whilst ploughing.

There was a small entry fee, and we were given a guided tour.

The Alcazaba de Antequera is a fine castle built by the Moors, but subsequently altered by the Christians. situated on a hill overlooking the town, and providing superb views over the town and surrounding countryside, particularly from the top of the battlements and towers.

When we visited it, entry was free and there were free guided tours available, although we chose to go round on our own. However, we heard that they are intending to introduce a small entry fee.

Builders were working on a large open area in the centre of the castle, creating what looked as if it would be an events venue for concerts etc.

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The Dolmens are very ancient burial mounds situated on the outskirts of Antequera, which visitors can walk into. Two of them, Dólmen de Menga and Dólmen de Viera are situated adjacent to each other, and the other, the Dólmen del Romeral is situated in a different area a few miles away.

El Torcal Nature Reserve is situated in mountains to the south of Antequera and is famous for its fascinating rock formations. There are also excellent views from it over the surrounding countryside.

One of our guidebooks on Spain mentioned that the impressive El Torcal Nature Park was located not far from Antequera so, on our drive from Granada to Sevilla, we decided to make a small detour into Antequera to see what it was all about. The history of the city goes back 5000 years to the Bronze Age and features two burial dolmens from that era that are the largest in Europe. Over the centuries, it became a very important city because of its strategic location almost midway between Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba and Malaga but, as with everything, times changed and it has now become just another beautiful little city in Spain, with tourism as its main livelihood.

We had initially intended to take a little walk around downtown but realized that seeing the limestone formations of El Torcal Nature Park was a higher priority on our list. As a result, we skimmed through the outskirts of town and took this photo from one of Antequera's hillsides. In the distance is another of these formations - an 880 m high massif known as La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". Legend has it that a young Christian man from Antequera fell in love with a beautiful Moorish girl from a nearby town. This did not go down well with the Moorish soldiers, who chased the couple to the top of mountain. In the end, they both lept to their deaths rather than renounce their love for each other.