Cómpeta is a town and municipality in the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

Axarquía Axarquía () is a in the province of Málaga, Andalusia in southern Spain. It is the wedge-shaped area east of Málaga. Its name is traced back to Arabic (, meaning "the eastern egion). It extends along the coast and inland. Its coastal towns m ...

, and

province of Málaga The province of Málaga ( ) is located in Andalusia, Spain. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south and by the provinces of Cádiz to the west, Seville to the northwest, Córdoba to the north, and Granada to the east. The province ...

, part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

in southern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The municipality is situated approximately 18 kilometres from the coast (

Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol (; literally "Coast of the Sun") is a region in the south of Spain in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of ...

), and 52 kilometres from Málaga, the provincial capital. It is situated at 638 metres above sea level in the foothills of La Maroma (the highest peak of the

Sierra de Tejeda The Sierra de Tejeda is a mountain range in the Penibaetic System of mountains between the provinces of Málaga and Granada in Spain. Together with the Sierra de Almijara to the east and the Sierra de Alhama to the west it constitutes a limesto ...

). The population is spread over the southern slopes of the Sierra de Almijara. Cómpeta has a population of approximately 4,000 residents and the natives are called ''competeños''. Cómpeta residents are diverse in both culture and nationality, with many residents originating from other countries across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

such as the UK and other Northern European countries including

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and

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. Cómpeta's patron saint is San Sebastian. During the last weekend in July, Cómpeta celebrates its patron saint by holding a fiesta (

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

). On 15 August of every year (

Assumption Day The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...

), Cómpeta celebrates the 'Noche del Vino' ('night of the wine'), which is a festival declared of tourist interest by official government decree ('Declaración de Interés Turístico National de Andalucia'). It takes approximately one hour to reach the village from Málaga Airport, along the coastal motorway and then inland via the well maintained mountain road.

Geography

Mountains

The town is southwest of the

Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park The Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park () is a protected area in the Spanish provinces of Province of Málaga, Málaga and Province of Granada, Granada. It contains the Sierra de Tejeda and Sierra de Almijara mountains. The park i ...

. The Tejeda and Almijara mountains, declared a National Reserve of Major Hunting and included in the Catalogue of Areas and Protected Goods of the Junta of Andalusia, extend over an area of approximately 20,543 hectares. They include the municipalities of Alcaucín, Canillas de Aceituno, Sedella, Salares, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Frigiliana and Nerja. The highest point visible from the town is the Maroma (2,065 m). The topography of the terminus is quite hilly, especially in the northwest, which borders the province of

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

. Other important elevations are Cerro Lucero (1,779 m), Cisne (1,600 m), Verde (1,554 m) and Tajo de las Grajas, which has a length of 200 metres. File:Cómpeta Complete Panorama View Golden Hour 2014.jpg, Panoramic overview of Cómpeta

Neighbourhoods

Cómpeta has a neighbourhood on the mountain called El Acebuchal which recently has built a chapel for its few inhabitants. Their houses are spread over a hillside to the other side across several kilometres to Frigiliana.

History

Cómpeta has Roman origins. Its name derives from the Latin phrase ''Compita-Orum'', which means "crossing of roads." It was a place where the Romans held their feasts and offerings. It was also a place to shop and sell products. This is believed to be the town's origin as there are no written documents to support it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Competa Municipalities in the Province of Málaga

Geography

Mountains

Neighbourhoods

History

See also

References