Colourful mosaics, ceramic sculptures and salvaged tiles have turned a small village in Malaga’s Axarquia into an unexpected outdoor art gallery.
In El Valdes, part of the municipality of Moclinejo, local carpenter and self-taught artist Antonio Montañez has decorated benches, walls and squares with creations that recall the work of Antoni Gaudi.
His use of trencadis – mosaics made from broken pieces of ceramic and tile – has given the village a distinctive appearance, with artworks woven into its everyday streets.
One of Montañez’s most striking creations is a stone tree honouring El Valdes’s stonemasons.
Its branches bear the names of the last local workers to practise the craft, preserving the memory of an industry that once helped sustain the village.
His most ambitious project is the Casa Museo Axarquia, built largely using materials recovered from demolished buildings. It brings together artworks, traditional crafts and architectural details in a building that is itself part of the attraction.
Nearby, Plaza Axarquia offers more of his mosaics and ceramic pieces, continuing the artistic trail through the village.
What else is there to see?
The wider municipality of Moclinejo, recognised by the Pueblos Magicos de España initiative, combines the artwork of El Valdes with the traditional streets and wine heritage of the Axarquia.
In Moclinejo itself, sights include the village arches, Plaza de España and the 16th-century Church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, which combines Mudejar and Renaissance features.
The village is also home to Bodega Antonio Muñoz Cabrera, founded in 1927, reflecting a winemaking tradition that remains central to local life.
Moclinejo is known as the gateway to the Raisin Route and forms part of the area promoted as Corazon Moscatel, or ‘Muscat Heart’.
Its identity is closely tied to muscat grapes and the Axarquia’s traditional raisin production system, recognised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.
That connection is celebrated on the second Sunday of September with the Fiesta de Viñeros, honouring the growers who keep the local grape-growing tradition alive.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
