I have just spent the weekend visiting these two historical towns in the mountains a short distance from Malaga.

Antequera

Often called the “Heart of Andalusia,” Antequera is a historic town known for its rich cultural heritage, prehistoric monuments, and central location.

It boasts an extensive history, dating back to the Bronze Age. It was a key town during Roman times and later flourished under Moorish rule before being reconquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1410    

Archidona

A  picturesque town known for its Moorish history, whitewashed buildings, and stunning landscapes. It is located near the Sierra de Gracia and offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

It was an important settlement during the Moorish period and served as the capital of the province of Rayya in Al-Andalus. Its history goes back to prehistoric times, with evidence of Roman and even earlier settlements

What an incredible adventure . 

We stayed in the beautiful 4 star hotel, Fuente del sol  https://hotelfuentedelsol.com/en/  and visited a local organic olive oil mill on the way to find out how olive oil is made and enjoyed sampling the oils with delicious sourdough bread . https://molinodelhortelano.com/ 

We visited the Grossman organic vineyard outside Antequera where we had a wine tasting with an incredible selection of tapas , which I highly recommend for my clients.
https://www.bodegasgross.es/ 

We got to explore the Dolmens of Antequera which is a UNESCO World Heritage prehistoric burial site. (Menga, Viera, and El Romeral).
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1501/ 

We also visited the El Torcal National park , which we plan to go back and hike very soon. In fact our next stay is in the https://www.posadatorcal.com  which we are excited to 

explore a short distance from the park. 
https://www.andalucia.com/antequera/torcal/home.htm 

This tour can be customised to be a day tour or Liana can arrange for you to stay one night to include all of the experiences mentioned.