The Axarquía comarca — the hinterland behind Torre del Mar — is one of the least-visited and most rewarding parts of Málaga province. The hills rise steeply from the coast and the climate supports a subtropical agriculture unusual in Europe: avocados, mangoes, chirimoyas (custard apples), and tropical fruits grow on terraced hillsides that look more like Central America than southern Spain.
The village of Frigiliana, about 15 kilometres east (and inland from Nerja), is consistently voted one of Andalucía's most beautiful: a tangle of whitewashed streets climbing a Moorish hilltop, with ceramic tiles depicting the history of the Mudéjar uprising embedded in the walls. The Caminito del Rey gorge walk is about 40 kilometres west (near Álora) but makes a good day trip by car. Closer to hand, the inland villages of the Axarquía — Vélez-Málaga, Comares, Cómpeta — reward aimless driving and stopping for local wine.