5 gorgeous villages in Málaga province to visit this autumn

Summer may belong to the coast, but autumn is one of the best seasons to head inland and explore the nature and charming villages of the Málaga province.

Late autumn is also when the landscape changes: chestnut forests turn gold and copper, the grape harvest produces new wine and some of Málaga's most traditional seasonal festivals take place.

Here are five villages particularly worth visiting this autumn for colour, charm and gorgeous landscapes.

Roasted chestnuts above Marbella

Closest to Marbella is Ojén, just 10 minutes inland from the town. The municipality covers more than 85 km² and is home to around 4,800 residents.

Its Popular Tostón, a traditional chestnut-roasting festival, takes place on 8 November 2026, filling the village with the smell of chestnuts roasting over the fire, accompanied by local food, music and Ojén’s traditional anise-flavoured spirit, aguardiente.

While you are there, it is also worth visiting the Cuevas de Ojén, historic caves carved into the rock at the top of the village.

Mushroom season in the mountains

Just 20 minutes from Marbella, Monda is one of the easiest villages on this list for a relaxed autumn day trip.

Following the first autumn rains, the forests of the Sierra de las Nieves enter mushroom season. From 20 to 22 November 2026, Monda will hold its XVI Jornadas Micológicas (16th Mushroom and Fungi Festival), with guided outings, mushroom identification, talks and seasonal food.

Then there is Castillo de Monda, the hilltop castle built on the foundations of a 9th-century Moorish fortress. Today it is a boutique hotel, home to Albacar restaurant, where you can stop for lunch or dinner overlooking the village and surrounding mountains.

Wine and chestnut season

In the Sierra de las Nieves, Yunquera turns autumn into a celebration. On 24 and 25 October 2026, the village hosts its annual Feria del Vino y la Castaña (Festival of Wine and Chestnuts), bringing together roasted chestnuts, local wine, food, craft stalls, music and traditional grape pressing.

The surrounding chestnut trees also begin changing colour through autumn, making this a particularly good time to explore the countryside around the village.

The heart of chestnut country

If there is one village that sums up autumn in Málaga, Pujerra has a strong claim. It lies in the Valle del Genal, where vast areas of chestnut woodland change colour from late October onwards. The transformation is so striking that the area has become known as the Bosque de Cobre (Copper Forest).

Chestnuts are deeply rooted in village life here. Once the harvest is complete, Pujerra traditionally celebrates its Fiesta de la Castaña (Chestnut Festival), with roasted chestnuts, local food, music and an impressive variety of dishes made from the season's crop.

The village even has its own Casa Museo de la Castaña (Chestnut Museum), dedicated to the history and importance of chestnut growing in the area.

Celebrate the end of the grape harvest

Tiny Atajate, in the Serranía de Ronda, saves one of its biggest celebrations for late autumn.

Its Fiesta del Mosto (Wine Must Festival) is traditionally held on the last Saturday of November, once the freshly pressed grape juice has begun to ferment. In 2026, that falls on 28 November.

Visitors gather in the village to taste locally produced mosto and celebrate a winemaking tradition that has been kept alive for generations.

You don’t have to venture far from Marbella to find a picture-perfect autumn scene, complete with crunchy leaves, chestnuts roasting and that remarkable crispness in the air.

Make the most of the season within the Málaga province, and discover the best autumn hikes near Marbella, which covers beautiful routes through the chestnut forests of the Genal Valley. 

Meanwhile, as cooler days, changing colours and harvest traditions arrive in the hills, the coast still offers plenty of sunshine, mild days and long walks by the sea. It’s one of those times of year when Málaga province really does offer the best of both worlds.

Have a wonderful autumn!