Alhaurín el Grande

Home > The Villages > Valle del Guadalorce > Alhaurín el Grande

The origin of the name is due to the Arabs, who called it “Alhaurín”, being the Catholic Kings who added “El Grande”, to distinguish it from the neighboring town of Alhaurín de la Torre after the conquest of both places in 1485. The village is located on the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas (1,100 meters above sea level) at the foot of a pine forest, rich vegetable gardens and fertile plains of citrus fruits, fruit trees and vegetables, as well as fields of olive trees and cereals that make up the extensive and fertile Guadalhorce Valley.

Alhaurín el Grande has a surface area of 73 km2 and a population of around 24,000 inhabitants, of which 20% are mostly European foreigners, with a density of 329 inhabitants per km2. Because of its location near the Mediterranean Sea, on the right margin of the Gualdalhorce Valley and north of the Sierra de Mijas, and its altitude of 270 meters above sea level, Alhaurín el Grande has a warm temperate continental Mediterranean climate, with mild temperatures that hover an annual average of 17 degrees Celsius, with cold winters and hot summers. The rains are scarce, and are concentrated in the months of November to March, with an average annual rainfall of 636 liters per m2. The municipality enjoys 2,900 hours of sunshine per year, a very mild climate ideal to enjoy all year. For more information you can also read this Touris Guide of Alhaurín El Grande.

 

 

Points of Interest

  • Arco árabe del Cobertizo: Monument consists of the twelfth century and is thought to be part of a wall that protected the town. Recently it has been restored to achieve its conservation. It is located next to the church Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, in the district of Bajondillo.
  • Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación: It is situated on a hill where the old castle and mosque of the Muslim Alhaurín were built in Andalusian times. Its history as a parish goes back to the incorporation of the locality to the Christian kingdoms in the campaign of 1485. From the original building remains the Gothic ribbed vault of the lower body of the tower. The reforms in the XIX, endowed the temple with its current image.
  • Roman columns on la Plaza de Ayuntamiento: These are located at the Plaza del Convento and from here you have also a beautiful view over the town. The columns are located at the door of the Town Hall of Alhaurín el Grande.
  • Ermita de San Sebastián: The Hermitage of San Sebastián de Alhaurín el Grande is the oldest chapel in the town. It appears reflected in the distributions of goods and lands carried out by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, after the reconquest of Alhaurín, so it is possible that it was an ancient Arab sanctuary converted into a Christian hermitage in honor of San Sebastian, patron of the village.
  • Ermita de la Santa Vera Cruz: There are references to its existence as a building since 1542. Two centuries later, in 1750, it will be occupied by the Franciscans, adhering at the end of the century to the Hospital of Santa Catalina, located in the area of the current City Hall and it was named “Convent of San Francisco”, still maintaining part of that denomination. In 1812 it was destroyed by the French, It would not be until 1904 when its reconstruction begun and finished it in 1921.

 

  • Ermita del Cristo de las Agonías: The hermitage of the Christ of the Agonies was built in 1783. This is indicated by the inscription that is still preserved on the façade, which can be read: “This chapel was made at the expense and request of Francisco Vicente de Burgos. Year of 1783 “.
  • Ermita de San Antón: This hermitage is located in the upper part of the town, in a neighborhood called “El Chorro”. On the day of the festival of this saint it is typical that all neighbors go with their pets so that all receive the blessing of it. The saint is taken in procession through the streets of the neighborhood and the throne is carried by both men and women. When finishing the procession it is typical to take chocolates with fritters.
  • Ruinas de la Fortaleza de Fahala o Castillo de la Reina: This ancient fortress is of Arab origin and its remains are on the outskirts of the town in the area known as Torres de Fahalas. It is located on a 230 meters high ameseted hill with an extension of around 20,000 square meters and still today you can see remains of walls, ceramics, tiles and bricks. This location must have been very important, as indicated by the height and thickness of the canvases preserved in the wall, up to 5 meters high and 2 meters wide).
  • Torre vigía de Urique: It is an Arab lookout tower. It is the only tower of this style, along with that of Cañete la Real, which is preserved. I was destined for surveillance. Its access doors are located high, so that they could only access it with the help of a golden staircase. This building is kept in a fairly good state of conservation, from its battlements we can appreciate stunning views of the Guadalhorce Valley. The tower also has a dungeon that is currently covered.
  • Fuente Lucena o de los Doce Caños: It is a fountain located in the lower part of the town. On this place formerly the women went to wash and to get water for their homes. The waters of this source were already used by the Romans, however the existence of it can not be ascertained until the mid-nineteenth century.
  • Molino de la Paca: It is located on the road of Alhaurin de la Torre, km 74. It has more than 120 years of activity and visitors can observe and understand from the traditional method of obtaining olive oil to the new techniques used, as well as taste it or buy the typical regional products.
  • Moorish mill of the Corchos: It is located on the Cuesta de los Valientes, on the banks of the Fahala River. It is one of the few flour mills dating from the Arab period that are conserved in Spain. It is driven by the force of water and uses the system of stone wheels. It was built for the milling of wheat, although since 1905 it was dedicated to grinding cork, material that was used to preserve the grapes and the pomegranate, and hence it is known as the “Corks” mill.
  • Portón de San Rafael: The arch of San Rafael or Portón de San Rafael was built in the 18th century. It is a forge arch embedded in a semicircular arch and gave access to the Hacienda de San Rafael, which was part of a chaplaincy.
  • Casa Consistorial, Crypt of the old Franciscan convent: The Town Hall of Alhaurín el Grande occupies the place that was the former convent-hospital of Santa Catalina, where it is in the Montellano palace. In its lower part, old caves have been rehabilitated and used to present cultural events such as conferences or exhibitions.
  • Casa-Hermandad Museo de la Cofradía de la Santa Vera Cruz
  • Casa-Hermandad Museo de la Real Hermandad de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno: Located in C / Nueva 11, it houses the exhibition of the Brotherhood’s procession equipment as well as the exhibition of pieces of trousseau of Mary Most Holy and Our Father Jesus. It has a unique facade that is covered with tiles.
  • Museum of agriculture: This museum is an important tourist reference. The objective is to transfer the values, culture and idiosyncrasy of our ancestors who worked the land with the utensils that are exhibited in the rooms of this museum.
  • Bread Museum, El Colmenero de Alhaurín: The Antonio García Gonzales bread museum is located on Calle la Cruz nº9 in Alhaurín el Grande. In this museum you can find all kinds of materials used in the past to make bread: from lebrillos and Arab ovens to an Arab mill. It also has a presentation room and a grinding room.
  • Municipal Library “Ildefonso Marzo”: The old library was located in the Plaza de la Legión. This was abolished and a music center was created in its place, now it is located next to the roundabout of the cross, it is a three-storey building and each one of them is divided to meet the needs of the people who attend there both for carry out the study as to simply read newspapers or enjoy new technologies for free.
  • Teatro Antonio Gala: It is an innovative place that has been built in the town for a short time, it is used both for concerts, performances, and for graduations of the students of the town’s institutes.
  • Parque La Libertad: It is a recently built park, where children, in the company of older people, can enjoy strolling. It has a large playground and numerous banks. This park is located in the south, very close to the Sierra de Mijas, has large leafy areas, in addition to a small waterfall. It is an ideal place to hang out.
  • Fuente del Acebuche Algarrobo: situated in de Sierra de Alhaurín el Grande. Hiking trail
  • Molino de los Corchos: Moorish Mill of the Corchos next to the Fahala River.

 

Photo Gallery

 

 

Location

 

 

↑
%d bloggers like this: