An August and September to savour for foodies across Malaga province

Summer is not the season with the most gastronomic festivals in Malaga province, but it is definitely one of the most varied. From cherries to chilled soups, from wines and sultanas to so much more, there are over 15 events involving food and drink with a traditional flavour scheduled up to the third weekend of September, the culmination of a gastronomic summer in Malaga. As with every year, there will also be some new features, such as the event that is being planned for the last weekend of August in Malaga centred around 'bocatas' (all things sandwich-related).

It is one of the big summer events of the year and its date has been known for some time because it's obligatory to celebrate it every first Saturday in August. This will be the case this coming 2 August, when the famous 'gazpacho de los tres golpes' (literally the 'three-strikes gazpacho', meaning the right blend of salt, vinegar and olive oil) will be handed out among locals and visitors while supplies last. The new feature for this year in this village in the Upper Axarquia is that the chilled soup will have a very special aroma of lavender.

Like the previous event, this festival is always held on the first Saturday in August. This makes it difficult, but not impossible, to attend both events on the same day, as they are many kilometres apart, despite being in the same part of Malaga province. Even though this event in Iznate is dedicated to the Muscat (moscatel) grape, which has already begun to be harvested, it also revolves around the traditional cuisine of La Axarquía. To this end, free tastings are offered that evening in different parts of the village: from the chilled soups of ajoblanco and gazpacho to roasted pepper salads and cured meats.

Also on the first Saturday in August, as part of the big summer fair in the Zapata district of Alhaurín de la Torre, another classic of the Malaga culinary summer is held. This is a gastronomic competition that has been declared a festival of tourist singularity by Malaga's provincial Diputación authority. It is a very popular competition in which more than 100 different dishes are presented each year. Once the judges have made their deliberations, the food is shared out among those attending the event.

At the halfway point of the summer, one of the most important competitions for chargrilled sardines in Malaga province takes place. After the 'Málaga en la Mesa' foodie trail, the 11th edition of the competition will take place on the first Saturday in August, hosted every year in Torremolinos. In addition to the competition itself, there will be tasting sessions afterwards of the skewered sardines that have been cooked over glowing embers by the specialist cooks known as 'espeteros'. For this year, only professional espeteros from each of the municipalities of the Eastern and Western Costa del Sol, from Nerja to Manilva, will be eligible to enter.

The 'Certamen Mundial del Jamón Popi Ciudad de Estepona' (to give it its full title) is one of the most popular, summertime culinary events on the Costa del Sol and it will celebrate its tenth anniversary this summer. For nine days, on Estepona's seafront promenade (a unique place on the Malaga coast), dozens of stalls will be set up selling finely-sliced hams and other cured meats from different parts of Spain, as well as other high-quality products. An extra attraction is the programme of musical performances to liven up the event into the night.

This is another festival whose exact date is known because it always takes place on 15 August, regardless of whether it falls on a working day or a weekend. Despite its nocturnal title, the event runs practically all day long, as the first activities usually begin at 11am with the customary mass in honour of the town's patron saint, the Virgen de la Asunción. This is followed by the traditional treading of the grapes ('la pisa' in Spanish), a symbolic act carried out every year by a well-known figure. This is followed by one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the day, the tasting of migas (fried flour) with 'arriera' salad (potatoes, cod, oranges, onions and olives), Muscat grapes and local wine. After this first part of the fiesta, the event starts up again at 10pm with the customary opening speech, as well as a flamenco singing festival.

The date of this event is also fixed, like the previous one, on 15 August. It is held as part of a gathering of agricultural products from Coín and the surrounding area, although the highlight is the 'huevo de toro' (bull's ball), a variety of tomato around which a competition is first held to determine the best batch. The winning lot and other batches are then auctioned off among those attending. The auction proceeds are donated to charity. This event is held in the morning as part of a local farmers' market. In addition to this event, every year a foodie trail is organised among many restaurants in the province, where this coveted tomato variety can be sampled in many different dishes.

The first edition of this culinary festival, which revolves around "signature sandwiches, street food and fine dining", is scheduled to take place in the last days of August, according to the organisers. It will take place in Fuengirola and seven renowned chefs will participate with creative proposals designed to captivate lovers of a good sandwich or butty.

Muscat grapes shine not only in Axarquía but also in the westernmost town in Malaga province. The grape harvest is usually commemorated on the first weekend of September in Manilva. On the big day, 7 September, there will be the traditional treading of the grapes ('la pisa'), followed by tasting the first grape juice ('mosto') of the year The day before, in the afternoon, the procession of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores will take place - which will also involve the grapes, distributed among visitors by local growers.

It is one of the oldest events on the list of festivals in Almáchar and is usually held on the first Saturday in September. What began as a demand for road improvements ended up becoming an attraction for lovers of the traditional summer recipes of Malaga province. Ajoblanco - an Andalusian chilled soup made of bread, almonds, garlic and olive oil - is the star of this event, which began in 1970 and celebrates its 55th anniversary this summer. In the middle of the Muscat grape harvest, visitors will be able to cool off with a glass of this refreshing, nutritious drink.

Coinciding with the Noche de las Candelas (a candlelit night), Riogordo's ethnographic museum will host the symbolic treading of the grapes to mark the tradition of wine production at this time of year. This village, which is known above all for its cultivation of the verdial olive variety, has shown its commitment to remembering the importance of customs that have been lost in recent years.

It has been a long time since this festival was solely about tasting fried anchovies or anchovies pickled in vinegar along Rincón de la Victoria's promenade. In recent years it has evolved and, although it is still free of charge, bars and restaurants have begun to host the event in key locations around town. The more recent culinary aspect of the event has become a clear reference point for September gastronomy in Andalucía. In the last few years there has been an extensive programme of activities such as live cooking demos, a 'Sabor a Málaga' gourmet food and drink market and, of course, the aforementioned anchovy-tasting.

The grape harvest is also celebrated in the village of Mollina, located in the Antequera valley, where there are currently three important wineries. Each of them produces high quality wines, including reds, whites, sweet wines and even vermouth and sparkling wines. The macro-tasting that will take place on Saturday 13 September and the parade with bicycles decorated with grape harvest motifs on the following Sunday are two of the events not to be missed. The festival involves live music and a daytime fair over the course of the weekend.

It is a date marked on the calendar of the village that produces the largest quantity of aloreña olives in Malaga (a popular variety of table olive, eaten as an aperitif). The first olives of the season can be tasted there, thanks to a competition that marks the beginning of this festival. The Alozaina fair also has a religious component, as it is always held around the day of the Virgen del Dulce Nombre de María (12 September).

A stone's throw from the Mediterranean, but within the 'Corazón Moscatel' (the heart of the Muscat grape-growing area), in this village in the Axarquía on the second Sunday of September they hold a special tribute to the grape growers. It's a day to celebrate those who work hard every harvest to gather the delicate and aromatic Muscat grapes, whether to be eaten as fresh fruit, dried in the sun and turned into sultanas or made into excellent wines.

The third weekend of September will see the arrival of the goat festival that revolves around the products and agri-food culture related to Malaga's native breed of goat, the 'cabra malagüeña'. There will be the usual tapas trail, a cheese market and various workshops. For three days, visitors will be able to taste dishes made with suckling goat meat and goat's cheese in different restaurants around the town. There will also be guided tours of Casabermeja's main monuments.

On the last Saturday of summer there will be another festival starring skewered sardines. It will take place in Marbella, with its long tradition of seafood, followed by a party that will be held that evening on three of its most iconic beaches: Venus (Marbella), La Salida (San Pedro Alcántara) and Las Chapas. There will be 'moragas' (open air barbecue) on each of them to savour one of the most traditional dishes of the cuisine of Malaga province.

Every third Sunday in September in El Borge, sultanas made from the Muscat of Alexandria grape are honoured. This municipality is located on the 'raisin route' and forms part of the tourist brand 'Corazón Moscatel' (alongside Almáchar and Moclinejo). As usual, during the Sunday morning, some of the tasks involved in growing this crop (as well as the production of sultanas and wine) will be followed for visitors to observe. Other attractions for a visit to this village in La Axarquía are tastings of different dishes and musical performances by verdiales (traditional folk groups).

* Throughout the summer there are also other events in which local produce and dishes are given centre stage, such as the festival in the village of Los Pepones, where every second Saturday in August it is customary to hand out the fruit of the prickly pear cactus to visitors in the evening.