The Axarquía-Costa del Sol region is in the easternmost part of the province of Málaga and has an area of a little more than 1,000 square kilometres and a population of about 170,000. It has 31 municipalities: Alcaucín, Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo, Algarrobo, Almáchar, Árchez, Arenas, Benamargosa, Benamocarra, El Borge, Canillas de Aceituno, Canillas de Albaida, Colmenar, Comares, Cómpeta, Cútar, Frigiliana, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Nerja, Periana, Rincón de la Victoria, Riogordo, Salares, Sayalonga, Sedella, Torrox, Totalán, La Viñuela and Vélez-Málaga, which serves as the regional “capital”.

The Antequera region, on the other hand, is situated in the northern part of the province of Málaga between the great plain of the interior countryside and the mountain range that in a sense links the Ronda Mountains with the territory of Axarquía. The seven municipalites that form the region of Antequera are: Alameda, Casabermeja, Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero, Mollina, Villanueva de la Concepción and the historic and monument-filled city of Antequera.

The Western Costa del Sol is composed of the municipalities of Benahavís, Benalmádena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Manilva, Marbella, Mijas and Torremolinos. It occupies the coastal strip that begins at the city of Málaga and extends to the border of Cádiz. It has an area of about 800 square kilometres, in which are concentrated the most popular tourist destinations not just of the province of Málaga but of all of mainland Spain.

The Guadalteba region, in the northern part of the province of Málaga, takes its name from one of the rivers that cross it. It is made up of the municipalities of Almargen, Ardales, Campillos, Cañete la Real, Carratraca, Cuevas del Becerro, Sierra de Yeguas and Teba. Except for Campillos these are all villages of less than 5,000 inhabitants.

The Ronda Mountains region lies in the north-western part of the province of Málaga and is composed of 21 municipalities: Algatocín, Alpandeire, Arriate, Atajate, Benadalid, Benalauría, Benaoján, Benarrabá, Cartajima, Cortes de la Frontera, Faraján, Gaucín, Genalguacil, Igualeja, Jimera de Líbar, Jubrique, Júzcar, Montejaque, Parauta, Pujerra and the city of Ronda itself. These cover an area of about 1,260 square kilometres and are sparsely populated, with the total number of inhabitants not exceeding 60,000.

The Nororma region is made up the communities of Archidona—the largest in area and population in this district—Cuevas Bajas, Cuevas de San Marcos, Villanueva de Algaidas, Villanueva del Rosario, Villanueva del Trabuco and Villanueva de Tapia. Between them they have a population of about 30,000 and an area of 435 square kilometres.


The Sierra de las Nieves region, in the west-central part of the province of Málaga, is named for the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, which was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1995. On its foothills lie the nine municipalities that make up this region: Alozaina, El Burgo, Casarabonela, Guaro, Istán, Monda, Ojén, Tolox and Yunquera.