Food festivals for the summer: lots of wine, gazpacho and even free sardines

Whilst this isn't Malaga's busiest season for food festivals, it is one of the most varied. From the cherries of Alfarnate, to the ajoblanco of Almáchar and the wines and muscatel sultanas of La Axarquía or Manilva; events with a traditional flavour are being held across the province until the third weekend of September - the epilogue of this summer. As every year, there will also be some new additions, like the event in the last weekend of August to showcase 'bocatas' (sandwiches).

Although it officially began in spring, the event has a strong summer flavour, both because of the refreshing cocktails on offer and the summery June climate. Fourteen establishments will be participating in this year's edition, where exclusive cocktails will be served at a price of six euros, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available.

It is one of the biggest summer events and has been in the calendar for a long time because it is celebrated every first Saturday in August. The famous Gazpacho de los Tres Golpes will be distributed on 2 August among locals and visitors while stocks last. This year, as a new addition, the village in upper Axarquía will have a special scent 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: despite being many kilometres apart, they are in the same region. Although this Iznate event is dedicated to the muscatel grape, which has already begun to be harvested, it also revolves around the traditional cuisine of La Axarquía. Therefore, there will be free tastings in different areas of the village: from ajoblanco to gazpacho and roasted peppers and sausage salads.

Also on the first Saturday in August, as part of the fair in Zapata (a neighbourhood in Alhaurín de la Torre), there is another classic tradition of Malaga's summer cuisine. This is a gastronomy competition has been declared a provincial tourist festival. It is a very popular competition in which more than a hundred different dishes are presented each year and after the jury's deliberation, food is distributed among the participants.

Midway through the summer is one of the most important sardine grilling competitions in the province of Malaga. The eleventh edition of the competition will take place on 2 August in Torremolinos. In addition to the competition itself, there will be espetos (sardines threaded onto skewers) tasting sessions afterwards. In this edition, only professional espeteros from each of the Costa del Sol's municipalities will be able to enter.

One of the most popular culinary events on the Costa del Sol turns ten this summer. Expert jamón cutters from all over the world will be competing to cut the perfect dish of wafer thin slices of jamón. For nine days, on Estepona's seafront promenade, dozens of stalls will be set up selling jamones, sausages and other high quality products from across the country. Another attraction to Estepona's festival is the programme of musical performances to liven up the event into the night.

This is another fiesta which is always highlighted on the calendar, it takes place on 15 August every year - regardless of whether it falls on a work day or weekend. Despite its name, it takes place all day long, as the first activities usually begin at 11am, with a customary mass in honour of the town's patron saint, the Virgen de la Asunción. This is followed by the traditional grape treading, a symbolic act that is carried out by a well-known figure every year. This is followed by one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the day, the tasting of migas de harina with arriera salad (a salad made with potatoes, cod, oranges, onions and olives; muscatel grapes and local wine. After this first part of the fiesta, the event will resume at 10pm with a 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 showcase of agricultural products from Coín and the surrounding area. But the real highlight is the 'huevo de toro' ('bull's ball', a variety of tomato) and the competition to determine the best batch. After the competition, tomatoes are auctioned off among attendees. The proceeds are donated to charity. This event is held in the morning in market format, where you can buy tomatoes and other agricultural products directly from local farmers. In addition to this event, every year the 'Ruta del Tomate de Huevo de Toro' is organised in many restaurants in the province, where the coveted tomato can be tasted in many different dishes.

The first edition of this food 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. Fuengirola will host seven renowned chefs, who will participate with creative proposals designed to captivate sandwich-lovers.

Muscatel grapes shine not only in Axarquía but also in the westernmost town in the province of Malaga. The grape harvest is usually commemorated on the first weekend of September in Manilva. On the big day, 7 September, there will be traditional grape treading, 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 farmers.

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 the improvement of the roads ended up becoming an attraction for lovers of the traditional summer recipes of Malaga province. Ajoblanco - an Andalusian cold 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 muscatel harvest, visitors will be able to cool off with a glass of the refreshing, nutritious drink.

Coinciding with the Noche de las Candelas, the Ethnographic Museum of Riogordo will host the symbolic grape treading to mark the tradition of wine production at this time of year. This village, which is known above all for its verdial olives, 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 just tasting fried anchovies or anchovies pickled in vinegar along the promenade of Rincón de la Victoria. In recent years it has evolved and, although it is still free of charge, bars and restaurants have begun to host the event in the area. The more recent culinary aspect of the event has become a clear reference point for September gastronomy in Andalucía. In recent years, there has been an extensive programme of activities such as live cooking demonstrations, Sabor a Málaga 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. 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 on the day of the Virgen del Dulce Nombre de María.

A stone's throw from the Mediterranean, but within the 'Corazón Moscatel', in this village in the Axarquía region, the second Sunday of September is a special tribute to the grape farmers. It's a day to celebrate those who work hard every harvest to gather the delicate and aromatic muscatel grapes, whether to be consumed as 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 Malaga Goat Festival, which revolves around the products and agri-food culture related to Malaga's native breed of goat. There will be the usual tapas route, a cheese market and various workshops. For three days, visitors will be able to taste dishes made with suckling goat's meat and goat's cheese in different restaurants in the town. There will also be guided tours of Casabermeja's main monuments.

On the last Saturday of the summer there will be another festival starring sardine skewers. It will take place in Marbella, with its 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 de 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 the province of Malaga.

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 performed for visitors. Other attractions for a visit to this village in La Axarquía are tastings of different dishes and folk music performances (verdiales).

* Throughout the summer there are 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 distribute the fruit of the prickly pear cactus among the visitors in the evening.