The traditional and
the modern live side by side in Alhaurín de la Torre |
Alhaurín de la Torre sits at the entrance to the
Guadalhorce valley, easy to get
to these days by the main National 340 coast road. At only 17 kilometres
from Malaga city, one
takes the airport road towards Torremolinos and turns off
at the signposts to Alhaurín. The traditional and the modern live
comfortably side by side
in this town, with its old Moorish-style streets and
houses in the Barrio Viejo and the modern housing estates and villas on
the outskirts. The
weather here is perfect, due to its privileged geographical
position between the Guadalhorce river and the Sierra de Mijas.
Alhaurín de la Torre has become a prosperous municipality in which
agriculture is the main
source of income, with citric and sub-tropical fruit plantations
and olive groves covering the landscape. The unique climate of
the area has also
resulted in a large number of nurseries having been established
in the area. The
origin of the place goes back to pre-historic times, and it is known
that the Phoenicians
that set up factories in Malaga and Cártama in about 1,000
B.C. settled in Alhuarín. it was here that Lauro was founded, and
centuries later the
Romans called it Lauro Vetus. The Moors, in their time, called
it Albarracín, and it grew from that into a larger collection of
farm-houses. The
re-conquest of the town in 1485 meant another variation on the
name, and the place was finally called Alhaurín de la Torre. The
population increased
sharply due to the influx of Christian settlers during this
period. There are many archaeological remains in the municipality, most
of them being in the
Estación de la Alquería area, officially designated as being
of Cultural Interest. The area is about 18 hectares in size, and was
occupied by settlers in
the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C.
Places
to be visited
 |
Archaeological
remains
Numerous ceramic fragments, bowls, wall drawings, coins
and burial objects have been
discovered from the Roman period in the municipality. One of the
main areas of archaeological interest
is the Cortijo de Mollina, where the remains
of a Moorish farm-house and tower still stand, along with other
ruins from the Roman period. There are
also important remains in the El Cardón
Valley and Carrera de Caballos areas, and in the area around the
Casa de Torrijos, in
Torrealquería.
Church of San Sebastián
This church was built at the request of Queen Isabel the Catholic
in the year 1505, and the
present parish church in the Plaza de la Concepción was built
in 1610. It was destroyed years later in an earthquake and later
reconstructed in a neo-classical style
in the middle of the 19th century. It is
built in the shape of the Latin cross with three naves and two
bell-towers.
Casa Refugio de Torrijos
In 1831, General José María Torrijos led a rising against the
absolute monarchy of Fernando
VII. His aim was to restore the Constitution of 1812, but
his enterprise failed and he fled to Alhaurín de la Torre and
took refuge from the royal
forces in a finca called the Hacienda de la Alquería, owned
by the Conde de Mollina. He and his men were captured,
nevertheless, and shot on the
beaches of Carmen, in Malaga.
Arcos de Zapata
These well-preserved remains were once the aqueduct known as the
Acueducto de la Fuente del Rey,
dating from the 18th century and built to carry water from
the stream of the same name in Churriana to Malaga city. It never
became functional, due to the pressure
applied by the land-owners of La Vega and
other economic problems. The Hermitage of Santo Cristo del
Cardón, situated in Los
Callejones, was said to be the scene of a miracle in the year
1484, when the image of Christ painted on wood saved a Christian
soldier from death at the hands of the
Moors. As a result, this image is venerated
at a number of grottos throughout the municipality.
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| Where
to eat |
Mesón Casa
Antonio. Specialising in roast suckling pig, cod of the
house and barbecued meats.
C/Naranja, 1. Tel: 952 416 625. Closed on Thursdays that are
not bank holidays.
Café-Bar Peña. Specialising
in roast chicken, fish and sea foods. C/Ermita, 22.
Tel: 952 410 032.
Restaurante La Albufera.
Specialising in rice dishes. Capellanía Shopping Centre,
L-25.T. 952 413 886.
Restaurante Casablanca.
Specialising in Moroccan cuisine. C/Las Paredillas s/n.
Tel: 952 413 737.
Bar Mercado. Specialising in
country cooking, home-made churros and traditional
local breakfasts. Avda. Vicente Alexandre s/n. Municipal Market.
Tel: 952 411 956.
Venta La Porrita. Specialising
in home cooking and casseroles. Plaza de Sta.Ana,
Bda. La Alquería. Tel: 952 412
628 y 952 410 595. Closed on Wednesdays that are not bank holidays.
Taberna El Toro. Specialising
in tapas. Menu of the day. Avda. España, 37. Closed
on Thursdays.
El Cortijo Andaluz.
Specialising in chicken in garlic, meat balls, fish and spare
ribs. C/Alamos, 15. Menu of the day. English and German
spoken.
Restaurante-Tetería Merzuga.
Andalusian cuisine. C/Alamos, 7. Tel: 952 412 688.
Restaurante El Montanés.
Finca El Montanés, s/n. Ctra. de Coín Km 81. Tel: 952
410 481.
Restaurante El Ermitaño. Pork
sausages, roast meats in the Castilla and León style.
Ctra. de Coín, km 76. Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday nights
(except in summer). Tel: 952
963 004.
Bar Pedro (Los Taxis).
Specialising in meats on the griddle. C/Alamos, 15.
Bar Povea. Specialising in
tapas, fried fish and meats. Avda. de España, 1.
Bar La Baranda. Specialising
in fish and sea foods, with paella on Sundays. C/Ermita,
1.
Bar José Roca. Specialising
in fried cod and broth. C/Málaga, 50.
Bodegón Tío Sam. Avda. de la
Vega, corner of C/Almendros.
Torre de la pizza. Pizzería.
Mirador de Bellavista, L-1.
Don Calzone. Pizzería. Avda.
del Mediterráneo, 24. Urb. Jardines de Alhaurín.
O´Mamma Mía.
Restaurante-pizzería. Capellanía Shopping Centre, L-17. |
| Where
to sleep |
Hostal-Mesón
El Cordero. Avda.Reyes Católicos, 3. Tel: 952 411 295.
Hostal Pepe. C/Alamos, 45.
Tel: 952 412 160.
Apartamentos turísticos Santa Clara.
Urb. Fuensanguínea. Tel: 952 416 524 and
952 416 430.
Camping Morales. Arroyo Hondo.
Tel: 952 412 870.
Rural
accommodation
Finca
La Gata. Restored house set in orange and lemon groves
close to the town.
Reservations: 606 675 318. Internet
Finca El Paredón.
Ctra. A-366. Km. 77. Paredón Bajo, in front of the Lauro Golf
Club. Tel: 609 220 971.
Finca El Rocío. Los
Callejones. Tel: 952 415 321.
Rural Houses La Mayoranza.
Finca Mayoranza-El Lavadero. Arroyo del Valle. Tel:
606 675 318.
Villa Margarita Apartments.
Arroyo de la Miel, 478. Urb. Pinos de Alhaurín. Tel:
952 412 555.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in
Spanish) |
The golf course has
become one of the principal attractions of the area |
FIESTAS
The month of
January is particularly good for festivals in Alhaurín de la Torre.
On January 5th, the well-known Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos (Procession
of the Three Kings) takes place, and on January 20th there is a
festival in honour of San
Sebastián. The celebrations go on for three days, with
cultural and folkloric activities taking place, in which the entire
town takes part. The Day
of the Purification of the Most Holy Virgin - El Día
de la Purificación de la Santísima Virgen - takes place on February 2nd,
the virgin being known as
the Virgen de la Candelaria. One of the traditions in
the town is to make offerings of traditionally made doughnuts decorated
in coloured ribbons to the
Virgin, and at night-fall, the burning of the dolls
takes place in a huge bonfire in the central square. The carnival is
held in February and
March, with a few days of typical carnival fun in the streets
during this period. After the carnival there is a national competition
of percussion bands. There are only two brotherhoods (hermandades)
in the Holy Week processions in Alhaurín, and these processions
attract tourists and visitors from far and wide. The Festival of
Corpus Christi takes place in May and June, in which the streets and
houses are decorated with
flowers and altars. The Fiestas Mayores de San Juan
Bautista, summer patron saint of the municipality, take place at the
end of June, with the
Flamenco Festival, the "Torre del Cante", being held a
week earlier. This is one
of the most prestigious flamenco festivals in all of
Andalucía.
GASTRONOMY
The traditional Alhaurín de
la Torre cuisine is a mixture of all the different peoples and cultures that
have been in the town. Among the most typical dishes are the rice with
chestnuts, the garlic soup, the gachas and the soup made from local produce
of the land.
RECREATION
Alhaurín de
la Torre has a wide range of clubs and other centres for the enjoyment
of the beautiful natural surroundings, including sporting activities.
The tennis club "La Capellanía" organises an annual tournament
in the month of September, called the
Capellanía Open. This club has three tennis
courts, a sports centre and other sports pitches. In the Jarapalo mountains
there is the Real Sociedad de Tiro de Pichón (the Royal Society of
Clay Pigeon Shooting) which has five areas for
the practice of various shooting
disciplines. And there is, of course, the well-known Lauro Golf Club,
18 holes over six kilometres of fairways with games lasting an average
four hours.
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