Harvest season in La Axarquía: how to experience the raisin and moscatel grape season

Every September, La Axarquía transforms. Fields that seemed still through the summer fill with activity, the mountain paths come alive with harvesters and the scent of freshly cut grapes drifts through the white villages of the interior. It is harvest season — and in this region it has a flavour entirely its own.

If you are in Nerja or planning to visit La Axarquía in September or October, this guide explains what is happening in the fields, which festivals are unmissable and why the moscatel raisin grape of this region is a genuinely unique product in the world.

La Axarquía's Moscatel Raisin: World Agricultural Heritage

This is not an exaggeration. The moscatel raisin production system of La Axarquía was declared a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2018 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. It is the first crop in Europe to receive this distinction, which until then had only been awarded to agricultural systems in Asia and Africa.

What makes this grape so special? The variety — the Muscat of Alexandria — and the method. In La Axarquía the harvest is done by hand using mules, which sets it apart from other places where mechanised harvesting is used. Because of the steep terrain of the sierra, the only assistance available is in loading and transporting the crates by mule. That is why it is known as the heroic harvest.

More than 2,000 families currently dedicate themselves to cultivating the moscatel grape in La Axarquía, facing the demanding harvest and its modest returns. Their commitment preserves not only the crop itself but the history, the landscape and the identity of the region.

The 2026 Harvest: One of the Best Campaigns in a Decade

The 2026 harvest is already underway and the wine villages are looking to their vineyards with the hope of making this one of the best campaigns in the last decade. Municipalities such as Iznate, El Borge, Almáchar, Moclinejo, Cómpeta, Sayalonga and Comares are preparing for a season that arrives with better prospects thanks to the rainfall recorded throughout the year and the excellent health of the vines.

The DOP Málaga is projecting around 2.6 million kilos, recovering to levels not seen in recent difficult campaigns. The harvest got underway with excellent quality and virtually no mildew. Good news for producers — and for visitors to the region during these weeks.

The Harvest Festivals You Cannot Miss

The harvest season in La Axarquía is not just work in the fields — it is also a succession of village celebrations that offer an authentic cultural experience hard to find anywhere else.

Día de la Uva Moscatel in Iznate (first Saturday of August)

The Moscatel Grape Festival in Iznate is the first celebration in La Axarquía to pay tribute to this emblematic crop. The official ceremony includes the Moscatel Awards, which the town council uses to recognise individuals and institutions that contribute to keeping the tradition alive. It marks the start of the harvest festival season across the region.

Día de los Viñeros in Moclinejo (second Sunday of September)

The Viñeros Day in Moclinejo is a celebration dedicated to the harvest and to the men and women of the land who have maintained the moscatel raisin grape for centuries — and to those who continue to cultivate it today, despite its demands and modest returns, because they understand that it is part of the identity of the region. An intimate and authentic celebration, very different from the larger festivals.

Día de la Pasa in El Borge (third Sunday of September)

The centrepiece of the season. The day begins at eleven in the morning with stalls for tasting the raisin and moscatel wine, demonstrations of harvesting, grape pressing, chopping and sieving, and tastings of traditional local dishes. More than 10,000 visitors are expected.

In the morning the traditional grape pressing takes place in the Plaza de la Vendimia, to the sound of Cómpeta's fandangos. At midday a traditional country lunch is served to all visitors, and as evening falls the dancing and singing begin, accompanied by wine, migas, salads and salted cod. Without question the most popular event of the wine season in La Axarquía.

The Wine Villages of La Axarquía: A Route Through the Interior

If you want to see the harvest up close, a route through the interior villages of La Axarquía in September reveals the region at its most authentic:

• El Borge — the epicentre of raisin production. Its terraced vineyards in September are a spectacle, and the paseras where grapes dry in the sun are an image unique in Europe.
• Iznate — home of the Moscatel Grape Festival and one of the municipalities with the deepest wine-growing tradition in the region.
• Moclinejo — home to Bodegas Dimobe, one of La Axarquía's most recognised wineries, with a long tradition of producing both sweet and dry moscatel wines.
• Almáchar — a village with a strong wine identity, also famous for its ajoblanco — a cold almond and garlic soup that pairs perfectly with an afternoon among the vines.
• Cómpeta — the wine capital of the sierra, where the August Noche del Vino opens the season and wineries such as A. Muñoz Cabrera produce some of the most celebrated moscatels in the region.
• Sayalonga — at the foot of the sierra, with vineyards that turn golden in September and a tranquillity that the more visited villages no longer have.

La Axarquía Moscatel: What to Try and Where

The moscatel grape of La Axarquía gives rise to several products that deserve attention:

• Sweet moscatel wine — the best known, made from partially dried grapes. Aromatic, with notes of tropical fruit and honey. Perfect as a dessert wine or with aged cheeses.
• Dry moscatel wine — less common but equally interesting. Floral, fresh and with an acidity that surprises those who only associate the grape with sweetness.
• Moscatel raisin — the grape sun-dried on the paseras. Amber-coloured and with a concentrated flavour, it is the most exported product from La Axarquía and one of the most valued in international markets.
• Moscatel spirits and liqueurs — some artisan producers in the region distil spirits from the moscatel grape that are worth seeking out at the local seasonal markets.

How to Experience the Harvest Season From Nerja

Nerja is the perfect starting point for exploring the harvest season of La Axarquía. All the wine villages are less than 45 minutes by car from the centre of Nerja, the mountain roads are part of the experience, and the combination of a morning among the vineyards with an afternoon on Burriana beach is one of the hardest plans to beat anywhere on the Costa del Sol in September.

September is also one of the best months to rent a holiday villa in Nerja: the sea is still warm, the sun is gentler, the beaches recover their calm and prices drop compared to summer. The perfect combination for those who want to enjoy Nerja and La Axarquía without the August crowds.

At Narixa Villas we manage a portfolio of holiday villas in Nerja with private pools for all group sizes — from intimate escapes for two to family gatherings for ten or more. If you want to explore the La Axarquía harvest season from a comfortable base on the coast, get in touch and we will help you find the perfect villa for your autumn stay.

To complete your planning, read our articles on alternative things to do in Nerja and La Axarquía, the complete guide to Frigiliana — just 7 kilometres from Nerja and the gateway to the wine villages — or our article on the authentic local life of La Axarquía.