The program of rural tourism, conducted by CEDER-Axarquia, basically pretends to place at any touristic sector of the region’s disposal, the mechanism or tools that guarantee the touristic sustainable development of the Region.

Among the objectives established to promote our land, we pretend:

• To make a diagnosis of the tourist activity.
• To provide greater diffusion and knowledge to the tourist business sector.
• To promote the contacts between tourist businessmen in the interior and in the coastline.
• To boost the associative character of the tourist sector.
• Planning and implementation of actions for the improvement of the joint marketing.

The Axarquia counts with a big cultural and environmental richness, due to the landscaping, natural and folkloricvariety that it owns. Thanks to the inner tourism it has experienced a remarkable growth during the last years,increasing the rent and the creation of employ in the most disadvantaged areas.

One of the main ways to reduce the deficiencies and promote the endogenous values of the area, is working to improve the quality in the territory.The most basic point of this job is the registration of the establishments in the corresponding Register of Tourist Activities.

This Register will be useful for the planning and regulation of Tourism, apart from being a fundamental requirement for its promotion and marketing. From CEDER-Axarquia, we offer advice to enterprises of the tourist sector, to make known the importance of their right registration.

On the other hand, regarding its diffusion, many tourist and gastronomic guidebooks have been elaborated and published, to promote the resources and natural elements that the Natural Parks have, as well as" Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama" , and "Montes de Málaga", and the 5 routes that cross the Region

Route of the sun and the wine

This route includes the most eastern zone of Axarquia, characterized for small beaches with huge cliffs and typical white villages, where it’s still possible to taste the famous sweet wine of the region. The villages that are included in this route are: Sayalonga, Cómpeta, Canillas de Albaida, Torrox, Nerja and Frigiliana.

Route of the sun and the avocado

From the capital’s province to the Axarquia’s capital. The route crosses part of the coastline of the region, through fields of subtropical fruits as Avocados, Mangos, Guayabas, Papayas, Chirimoyas and Litchis.The villages in this route are: Rincón de la Victoria, Macharaviaya,Vélez-Málaga,Benamocarra, Iznate and Benamargosa.

Mudejar route

This route offers the traveller the possibility of venturing inside the Natural Park of Sierra Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama, to contemplate the historical-artistic and cultural heritage, that is still preserved in those villages of Mudejar origin. The determinant points of this route are:Archez, Salares, Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno.

Route of the raisin

The main character of this route is the raisin, sweet typical fruit of the zone, thanks to which the famous wine Moscatel is made. Among the municipalities of this route are: Totalán, Comares, Cútar, El Borge, Almáchar and Moclinejo.

Route of the mountains and the oil

In this route the traveler will find spectacular landscapes, filled of fields of olives trees, characterized by their color and particular aroma. It even maintains the "Almazaras", transforming oil center, where one of the best oils is made, thanks to the variety of olive trees called "Verdial". The route is formed by the next municipalities: Riogordo, Colmenar, Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo, Periana, Alcaucín and 'La Viñuela'.

COOPERATION PROJECT "MEDITERRITAGE"

This project consists in the revaluation of the farming systems in "Terrazas", as cultural, landscaping, economic and heritage component on the Mediterranean’s mountains. Through the exchange of information and communication between the regions that take part in the project, Andalucia (Spain), Córcega (France), Liguria (Italy), Marrakech (Morocco), and Mugla (Turkey), common points of view are established to be developed by each of them:

• Cultural: To recover the history, the customs and the traditions, so the population can be aware of its importance.
• Tourist: To look for new paths of tourist use in order to promote them.
• Agrarian: To promote and look for new products that are respectful with the environment.

The expected results are:

• The awareness of the population about the possibilities of our natural resources as sustainability systems.
• The revaluation of the traditional farming system in "Terrazas".
• The identification of new products.
• The knowledge and the promotion of new cultures.
• The identification of resources and elements of tourist interest, next to the carrying out of a good practice Manual from the environmental point of view in the Natural Park of Sierra Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama.

COOPERATION PROJECT "MALAGA ONE HUNDRED VILLAGES"

This project consists in the common effort of the rural development groups of Malaga to promote the interior as tourist destiny. The actions planned for its development have been:

• Promotion of the cultural tourism.
• The Route of Omar Ben Hafsun and the mozarabic from Málaga. It has 7 municipalities, one of each Region.
• Ronda
• Monda
• Álora
• Bobastro
• Antequera
• Archidona
• Comares

PROMOTION OF THE NATURAL TOURIST

Through a brochure that contains all the resources and natural spaces of the province, for the fulfillment of various activities related with the environment.