MVVEL Museum of Vélez-Málaga

About MVVEL Museum of Vélez-Málaga

The municipal museum of Vélez-Málaga, opened in March 2017 as MUVEL and now signed MVVEL, fills the former Hospital de San Juan de Dios on Calle Doctor Jiménez Poey, in the historic centre of the capital of the Axarquía. The Catholic Monarchs founded the hospital in 1487 as the Hospital de San Marcos, and in the 17th century it passed to the Order of San Juan de Dios.

The building is part of the visit: about 1,500 m² arranged around a large Mudéjar-style courtyard, with Renaissance and Mudéjar features. Six rooms trace the history of the comarca from prehistory through Phoenician, Iberian-Punic and Roman times, Andalusí Axarquía, the early modern period and the Enlightenment.

The collection runs to some 1,700 objects, with more than 800 on permanent display: archaeological finds, coins, ceramics, textiles, documents and photographs, drawn from municipal and provincial holdings and private collections.

It is closed on Mondays. In winter it also reopens from 17:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Saturday, but in summer it is open mornings only. Autumn to spring is the best season, cool enough to pair it with the climb to the Moorish fortress above the old town; go late afternoon and finish at the fortress.

MVVEL Museum of Vélez-Málaga in pictures

What you’ll find

• Museum exhibitionExhibition visitTicket
• Museum galleriesMuseum visitTicket

Nearby places to visit

The museum is a short drive from the Axarquía coast. Baviera Golf (4 km), at Caleta de Vélez, is a flat 18-hole course designed by José María Cañizares. On the shore, Playa de Torre del Mar (5 km) is the main resort beach, with a long promenade, while Playa de la Caleta de Vélez (6 km) runs beside the fishing harbour, known for its sardine espetos. Further east, Playa de Lagos (9 km) is the quieter beach of a small village towards Torrox. Heading west towards Málaga, Añoreta Resort & Golf (15 km) at Rincón de la Victoria was Cañizares's first course design.