Municipality

Vélez-Málaga is the most important city in the Axarquía. There are living just under 80.000 inhabitants. Therefore the municipality is the third largest in the entire province of Málaga and the seventeenth largest in Andalusia. The headquarter of the Association Municipalities of the Costa del Sol-Axarquía is also based in Vélez-Málaga. Vélez-Málaga is divided into the areas of Vélez-Málaga City, Torre del Mar, Almayate, Caleta de Vélez, Chilches, Benajarafe, Cajiz, Lagos and Mezquitilla, Triana, Trapiche and Cabrillas. (Editor/Photos/Video: mit – Source: Wikipedia.es, Provincial Administration of Málaga, Info-tables on the places)

Although there are indications that people may have settled in Vélez-Málaga as early as the Iron Age, the first strong evidence date back to around 800 BC from the time of the Phoenicians. Among other things, archaeological remains were found around Vélez-Málaga, which prove the existence of the Phoenicians. There is, among others, the archaeological site Los Toscanos between Torre del Mar and Almayate along the Río Vélez, where scientists have found, among other things, a necropolis and remains of buildings, metals and animal husks.

Between the 13th and 15th centuries Vélez-Málaga finally came under the rule of the Muslim-Arab Nasrid. During this time, the population density developed rapidly. People began to spread around Vélez-Málaga. It emerged the districts Almayate, Benajarafe and Cajiz. Under Nasrid rule Vélez-Málaga developed into an economically ambitious community. Advanced agricultural production systems have been introduced and applied and craft trades optimized.

In 1487, Catholic kings conquered large parts of the Costa del Sol and expelled the inhabitants of Arab origin. However, they kept their advanced technologies. During their reign, they ordered the construction of Christian religious buildings and the installation of the hospitals Los Lazarinos and San Marcos.

In 1704, the Battle of the Sea of Málaga followed, which was held in August 1704 in front of the coast of Vélez-Málaga. The Franco-Spanish fleet stood opposite the Anglo-Dutch one. In total, 146 ships and more than 46.000 people were involved in this conflict. More than 4.500 soldiers died in this conflict. Because of the war, diseases and epidemics, the population in Vélez-Málaga dropped dramatically.

At the beginning of the 19th century, a yellow fever epidemic killed nearly 60 percent of the population of Vélez-Málaga. A little later several cholera epidemics and drought periods as well as a phylloxera plague followed. In 1848, a severe earthquake shook the region. Despite all these disasters, Vélez-Málaga experienced strong economic growth.

Under dictator Franco, however, other disasters followed, which made it necessary to evacuate the civilian population. During the escape to Almería Franco's troops and military allies shot at the people. A lot of them died. This period goes down in history as the massacre Málaga-Almería.

Since the 1960s, Vélez-Málaga has invested a lot of time and money in the development of a touristically attractive community. From then on, numerous blocks of flats were built on the beach of Torre del Mar.

The average income for a family in Vélez-Málaga is between 7.300 and 8.225 Euros. The service sector nowadays dominates the economy of the community. The most important role plays the trade, the hospitality, real estate and construction industries. But the primary sector, such as traditional fishing and agriculture, also shape the economic picture of Vélez-Málaga. In the interior nísperos, chirimoyas, vids, almonds, mangos and citrus fruits are cultivated.

The climate in Vélez-Málaga is mild and constant. Within the summer, from May to October, the temperatures rise up to 30 degrees and more by day while they never drop below 20 degrees at night. During the winter from October to May, the temperatures reach a daily value of about 18 to 22 degrees, while at night it could be cold by only ten degrees. All the year you do have a constant humidity. The water temperature rises from 23 to 26 degrees in the summer. In winter it hardly drops below 16 degrees. On average, there are 3.000 hours of sunshine per year.