Yet another morning walking among other young adults stumbling out of 7am clubs, Kim and I found ourselves heading to the bus station to catch our ride to Antequera. Located in the province of Malaga near the Caminito del Rey — which my mom and I visited during our trip together last year —, Antequera is known for its impressively preserved Neolithic Dolmens and other-worldly natural sites.
We arrived around 10am and got down to business — our itinerary was stacked! First, we walked from the bus station through an awakening neighborhood to the Dolmen de Menga and the Dolmen de Viera stopping for breakfast between the two. The Dolmens can be described as burial mounds dating back to the Neolithic Period — around 3000 to 3500 BC — which served as religious monuments of a time beyond our own. In the shadow of the famous Peña de los Enamorados, the landscape transported us to a magical and simpler life.
La Peña de los Enamorados ~ Can you see how it resembles a women's face?
Carvings near the opening of the Dolmen de Viera show that the chambers had been used by early Christian civilizations as well. Entering both of the Dolmens, they were quite small in size and consisted only of the first chamber. However, considering the amount of intelligence and effort it would have taken to construct megaliths such as these, they stand as a powerful reminder of the complexities of early societies. The whole time while visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site, I was transported back in memory to Ireland when I was taken to see the famous Newgrange Megalith. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go inside Newgrange at that time, but now having visited these Dolmens here in Antequera, I can’t wait to return.
Newgrange in Ireland versus Dolmens in Antequera
Leaving the Dolmens, Kim and I walked into the center of the city and soon found ourselves in the middle of Carnival festivities — what great timing! Families were wandering the streets dressed in group costumes and music seemed to flow down each and every alleyway. After a quick stop in the tourist office to get our bearings, we headed uphill above the celebration to their 11th century Moorish Alcazaba. Originally part of a Roman Citadel, the fortress was erected by Al-Andalus forces against Christian advances during the 14th century. However, as an effect of the Reconquista, the fortress was soon after conquered by the Kingdom of Granada. The views from above the Alcazaba were astounding! We found ourselves surrounded by thousands of years of history and powerful landscapes.
As we began to enter the early afternoon of our day in Antequera, Kim and I decided to jump at the opportunity to visit the incredible Natural Park Reserve of El Torcal. This mountain peak covered in unusual, cairn-like limestone formations was not to be missed. Due to the fact there were no public busses up to the site, Kim and I were left with the one option of taking a taxi up to the top. However, once we arrived, the somewhat pricey one-way taxi ride was worth the dent in our pockets. We then spent the following couple hours hiking around these impressive monuments to the true power of Earth’s forces.
Upon descending back to the car park before catching yet another costly taxi back into town, we met an older couple traveling from the nearby city of Almería on the coast who happened to be staying in Antequera. They kindly offered us a ride back into town. Apparently, they had two children Kim and I’s age and were both working as teachers -- something we all bonded over. Before returning into the city, we even stopped at yet another Dolmen called La Romeral along the way. Although they weren’t history teachers, they were very educated on the history of the area and even quizzed us on some American history. However, I do have to say, any day I would trade a pop quiz for great conversation and kind traveling companions.
They dropped Kim and I off near the site of the other two Dolmens which we had visited earlier in the day. Walking slowly back to the bus station and grabbing a bite to eat for dinner along the way, Kim and I talked about how perfect our day in Antequera turned out to be. We were able to see and do so much more than what we had expected. Before boarding our bus back to Sevilla that evening, we both came to agree that Antequera had risen near to the top of our favorite places in Spain.
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