At little more than 25 kilometres from Vélez- Málaga, we find ourselves with Árchez, a small town of about 400 inhabitants, whose roots are immersed in the Muslim occupational era, which is possible to be seen from the narrowness of its streets and the compact distribution of its white house.
Its water- bearing resources are abundant, coming mainly from the River Turvilla in which, following its course, the passer- by will find three flour mills, nowadays obsolete, called “Dona Fidela”, “Reusto” and “Castrán”.
The town of Árchez is presently classified as the woollen jewel of the Thirteenth Century and, and as experts say, the origins of the township date back to what could have been a farmhouse in Muslim times.
As noteworthy visits, the market, “Plaza de Andalucía”, the above- mentioned mills, the Church of “Ntra. Sra. De la Encarnación”, from the Fifteenth Century, and the tower, “La Torre Mudéjar”, from the Thirteenth Century (Declared Historic Artistic Monument in 1979) clearly stand out.
Árchez celebrates its local festivities and holidays, in honour of “San Sebastián” and “Ntra. Sra. De la Encarnación”, on the 8th, 9th and 10th of August. Its Holy Week, with the processions ascending the town’s winding street lets, is just as interesting. And, of course, “El Sanjuaneo”, of the 24th of June, in order to celebrate the advent of summer.
Its cuisine is characterised by the use of natural products, being the fennel stew with rice (potaje de hinojos con arroz), its most special and celebrated dish. Furthermore, there are the fried breadcrumbs accompanied by herring and sardines, the cold garlic and almonds soup, and the cod pancakes with honey, (las tortitas de bacalao y miel).