Málaga Club de Fútbol will host Cádiz CF at La Rosaleda on Sunday 21st September at 18:30 on matchday 6 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION. This highly anticipated match will feature Almáchar as the main highlight, appearing both in the design of the match poster and on the Blue and White captain’s armband.
Almáchar rises on a hill overlooking the rivers of El Borge and Almáchar, right in the heart of the Montes de la Axarquía. Surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, and cereal fields, the town stretches from the ridge that gives it its name to the Vallejo peak, at more than 600 metres above sea level. Around it, the traditional paseros bask in the sun to turn grapes into the renowned Málaga raisin, while citrus orchards and vegetable gardens climb up terraces until they blend with the whitewashed streets of the old town.
Protected by the silhouette of the Sierras de Tejeda and Almijara, today a Natural Park, Almáchar is part of that unique mosaic that makes up the Axarquía: mountains, valleys, cliffs, and coastline all within the same territory. Here, olive groves, almond trees, and vineyards coexist with cliffs, coves, springs, and whitewashed villages that preserve the Mudéjar influence in their layout and in the everyday life of their people.
Its origins date back to the Arab period, when Machar, “Tierra de Prados”, gave the place its name and character. As part of the “Cuatro Villas” along with Cútar, El Borge, and Moclinejo, it lived under the protection of the Comares castle until the Christian conquest of 1487. Over time, the town consolidated its prestige as a land of lexia raisins and as a cradle of artisans who, with more than a hundred looms, filled local homes with woven fabrics.
Today, strolling through Almáchar means discovering the parish church of San Mateo, a 16th-century temple with its Mudéjar tower and the shrine of the Cristo de la Banda Verde, protector of the town since the earthquake of 1755. Beyond the old quarter, the Cueva del Toro preserves traces of a past that still speaks to visitors.
Almáchar’s gastronomy preserves the essence of cuisine made with local products. Ajoblanco, the iconic dish that combines simplicity and freshness, shares the spotlight with traditional recipes such as maimones or coles moreás, always accompanied by wines from the region.
But if there is something that distinguishes Almáchar, it is the strength of its festive calendar. Despite its size, the town has become a benchmark for celebrations in the Axarquía. May is filled with devotion to the Cristo de la Banda Verde, July comes alive with the fair in honour of the Virgen del Amparo, and September reaches its peak with the Fiesta del Ajoblanco, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest of Andalucía, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. On that day, the town becomes a showcase of gastronomy, music, and tradition, in a unique atmosphere that transcends borders.
For the match against Cádiz CF, the art of José Luis Puche places Almáchar at the centre. The work draws inspiration from the project “Dándole sombra al barrio,” launched in December 2022, when around 70 women from the town joined their hands and needles to create crochet awnings that now fill the streets with colour and life, becoming a symbol of collective creativity.