Tower |
The most direct route to Algarrobo is by the
Autovía del Mediterráneo, heading
towards Motril and following the relevant signposts. There is also a
bus service to the town.
Although described as a coastal town, Algarrobo is actually
situated three kilometres inland, the beach area being known as
Algarrobo-Costa.
Algarrobo itself is at the foot of a hill that leads up to the
Hermitage of San Sebastián by one of the streets in the town. The
streets are narrow and
winding, and most of the houses are low and white-washed,
many with niches built into the facades to venerate saints. This
has been a tradition in the town for many generations. The
river Algarrobo flows from the higher Axarquía east of the Vélez river
through the
municipality, reaching the sea along a narrow coastal strip that
runs from Mezquitilla to
Caleta de Vélez. It was here in the Morro de Mezquitilla
that the first evidence of pre-historic settlement was found in
the area, dating from
the Bronze Age. Nevertheless, the most interesting remains
are to be found in the Trayamar Necropolis, consisting of a collection
of tombs that extend from the Trayamar finca to a nearby hill.
The Moors came later,
these being of a Berber tribe known as the Beni Tumi, from
which the name of the Sierra de Bentomiz derives. They stimulated the
local economy by the
cultivation of cereals, fruits and nuts, and the making of
silk. The town passed into the hands of Doña Catalina de Ribera towards
the close of the 15th
century, and she had to face rebellion from the Moriscos
later as a result of their expulsion and the re-settlement of
Christian families.
Places
to be visited
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The
Trayamar Necropolis
The Necropolis at Trayamar is the most important tomb
complex from Paleopunic times
on the entire western Mediterranean coastline. The archaeological
remains discovered there date from the 7th century B.C., these
being a collection of underground tombs magnificently made in
stone. The various pieces of
jewellery and other items found in the tombs can be seen
in the Provincial Archaeological Museum in Malaga, alongside a
reconstruction of what one of the
tombs was originally like. Other
archaeological remains, this time from the Middle Ages, are two
beacon towers, situated side by
side close to the National 340, beside the mouth of the
river Algarrobo. The Ladeada Tower or the "daleá", as
it is called, is a defensive
tower noted for its incline.
Hermitage of San Sebastián
The present-day Hermitage of San Sebastián is, in
fact, quite new, having been
built in 1976 on the foundations of the older building. It has a
single nave in the shape of the
Latin cross. The entrance is a semicircular arch on pillars,
with the belfry on top.
Church of Santa Ana
The Church of Santa Ana dates from the 16th century.
The floor plan is in the shape
of the Latin cross, with three naves supported by semicircular
arches on octagonal pillars, the
framework in timber in the classical style. The
exterior is a simple, modern style with a four-tiered bell-tower,
square at the base.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante el
Chato. Specialising in kid and rabbit. Large function
room for weddings and
communions. Avda. de Carat 6-8. Tel: 952 552 403.
Mesón El Cochinillo. Ctra. de
Algarrobo, Km. 1. Tel: 952 511 018.
Mesón Los Lobos. Ctra. de
Algarrobo, Km. 1. Tel: 952 550 094.
Restaurante La Viuda. Ctra.
Nac.340 Barriada Mezquitilla. Tel: 952 550 759.
Restaurante El Paraiso. Urb.
Pueblo Nuevo. Costa. Tel: 952 511 349.
Restaurante Piscis. Urb.Pueblo
Nuevo. Costa. Tel: 952 550 098.
Restaurante Faustino.
Urb.Pueblo Nuevo. Costa. Tel: 952 511 915.
Restaurante La Bodega. Paseo
Marítomo de Mezquitilla. Tel: 952 550 163. |
| Where
to sleep |
Rural
accommodation
Hostal
'El Chato'. Avda. de Karat, 6. Tel: 952 552 403.
Tourist Apartments. Bloque
Montevideo, 3. Te:. 952 511 209.
Tourist Apartments. Centro
Internacional, bloque 71, bajos. Tel: 952 511 170.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in
Spanish) |
Hermitage of
Algarrobo |
FIESTAS
The three-day
Fiestas Populares take place in the second half of August, to coincide
with the last Sunday of the month. There is a very full programme of
activities for this festival, from children¹s races and sporting competitions
to greasy pole climbing and other fun activities. There isalso a great deal
of music and dancing during the festival, as there is too in
the neighbouring towns at this time. Earlier in the year, on January 20th,
the town¹s saint¹s day, San Sebastián, is celebrated, when the imagen
of the saint is brought from the hermitage in
the high part of the town to the parish
church. Another popular event is the festival known as the verdialies,
a type of musical form peculiar to this part of Andalucía. It has
its own style of composition - four movements in differing tones - and
these are repeated by pairs of young men and
women in circles. The dance originates
from the river Huit area, known locally as "Güi", and until quite
recent times it was a type of courtship dance.
These days it is danced in festivals and
parties, and after the stamping of the grapes at home. The instruments
used include the guitar, the castanets and various home-made percussion
instruments.
GASTRONOMY
Algarrobo is most
famous - gastronomically speaking - for its doughnuts made with
olive oil, which is clearly an indication of the town¹s Moorish past;
dried fruits and nuts like raisins and almonds,
and more elaborate dished like kid in
garlic, the typical Algarrobo stew, fennel flavoured stew and the
clear garlic soup of the town. On the coast one can savour the sardines
on the spit and other delicious fish dishes. All
this food goes down very well
with one of the local home-made sweet wines.
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