Blogging about the wealth of tourist attractions in the Axarquía area of the Costa del Sol

Three influencers from the Andalucía Travel Bloggers association were joined by and Good Morning Spain's wellness and lifestyle presenter Linda Greenway as well as SUR in English on a two-day familiarisation trip to get to know the Axarquía area of Malaga province on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 October.

The trip to Rincón de la Victoria and Moclinejo was organised by the Association for the Promotion of Tourism in the Axarquía (APTA) who are currently hosting a German Erasmus student doing work experience in the office, making the excursion truly international.

According to APTA, the aim of this initiative was to "showcase the wealth of tourist attractions in the Axarquía area of the Costa del Sol, combining experiences both inland and on the coast, and to position the region as an attractive destination 365 days a year".

The familiarisation trip featured bloggers and influencers specialising in rural, cultural, gastronomic and family tourism, who shared their experiences in real time through their blogs and social media.

Bloggers El Mundo del Pirulo from Cadiz, El Viaje del Mapache from Granada and Viajeros Frititos from Seville, all who have extensive experience in creating tourism and cultural content, took part in the trip.

Linda Greenway was invited to take part in the trip as part of Good Morning Spain's series of television programmes about the Axarquía, its culture, gastronomy, agriculture and heritage.

APTA manager Elisa Páez explained that the initiative forms part of the association's tourism promotion strategy, which is committed to the potential of digital communication to reach new audiences and markets. "We want it to be known beyond the summer season, because the Axarquía is a region that combines sea and mountains, culture and nature, tradition and modernity," she said.

On day one the group visited to the Cueva del Tesoro, the only cave of marine origin in Europe, El Cantal Cliffs, a unique landscape of high geological value on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and Villa Antiopa, one of the best-preserved Roman villas in Andalucía. They sampled traditional Axarquía dishes at Venta la Chalaúra in Benagalbón.

On Friday they visited Moclinejo, where they took in the Casa Museo Axarquía, a building designed by Antonio Montañez that pays tribute to the history of the Axarquía with its collection of almost 150 works of art. Then they went to Bodega Dimobe, which specialises in muscatel wines and wine tourism in the Axarquía and tried local cuisine in Restaurante Reyes.