The small municipality of Macharaviaya exhibits a landscape that is typical of the region to which it belongs but is without remarkable contrasts in elevation, since the terrain is composed of a succession of hills of similar altitude.

This town, with the passing of the years, has become the refuge of various outstanding artist and craftsmen, specialized in lacework, fretwork, decorative ceramics, etc.

In the absence of the vineyards that disappeared with the phylloxera pest, they are covered with pastures occasionally mixed with olive trees. This is an area of pleasant geographic contours, but one that is not without small ravines and canyons, and is the setting for the village and its sub-district of Benaque, which is barely three kilometres away. It is even smaller than Macharaviaya but shares with it the same peaceful and old-fashioned ambience, far from modern rush and bother.

Macharaviaya originated as an ancient Arabic farm community and was founded as a royal burgh in 1572, taking the former Arabic name of Machar Ibn Yahha (farmstead of the son of Yahha), which is preserved today with practically the same pronunciation. The expulsion of the Moors resulted in the depopulation of the village, and it appears that unlike so many other villages in the area, there was no fully developed programme of repopulation.

The extended period of decadence experienced by Macharaviaya in all aspects of life, particularly relating to population, took an unexpected turn when the Gálvez family appeared in the little community. They provided a surprising economic stimulus in the eighteenth century. Throughout that century and part of the next, the village enjoyed unaccustomed prosperity and was visited by the most influential personalities in Málaga, who came to Macharaviaya to establish ties with the Gálvez family.

A new church was built over the former one during this period, the Real Fábrica de Naipes (Royal Playing Card Factory) and an Agricultural Bank were created and a potable water distribution system was begun. This economic development financed by the Gálvez family was so great that the village began to also be called the “Little Madrid”. Although this was without doubt an exaggerated nickname, it attests to the economic good times of the period.

A new period of decline began with the arrival of the phylloxera pest, as in nearly all of La Axarquía, and the village only began to emerge from it a few decades ago when it became a refuge for numerous artists who chose it as a residence, no doubt so they could devote themselves to their creative work in complete peace and quiet. A stable residential tourism industry has also been established that has contributed greatly to restoring many of the old dwellings that had fallen into disuse and disrepair.

How to Get There

Go towards Motril on the Mediterranean Expressway (A-7; N-340) and some five kilometres past the exit for Chilches take the MA-176. This road leads directly to Macharaviaya, although not in a straight line. .