Alhaurín el Grande, with its narrow winding streets, lies on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Mijas in the Guadalhorce river valley. There is evidence of Neolithic occupation of the area but little is really known about the town until the Romans arrived, giving it the name ‘Lauro’.
The Roman tradition was to give two neighbouring places the same name, distinguishing them apart by allocating a sort of suffix. Hence there was ‘Lauro Nova’ and Lauro Vetus. Strange tradition, but who are we to argue? The lands were fertile and the hills contained valuable mineral deposits, so the area flourished. Odd scattered Roman remains still exist in the town.
The Visigoths came and went, and then it was the turn of the Moors. They promptly built a fortress on a hill called Torres de Fahalla and changed the name of the town(s) to Alhaurín (Garden of Allah), adding ‘el Grande’ to one and ‘del la Torre’ to the other. The fort was destroyed during the reconquest of Spain by the Catholic Monarchs.
Alhaurín el Grande has endured, and survived, numerous invasions, plagues, a hefty earthquake in 1680 and even four years of French occupation during the Peninsular War from 1808-1814, all of which means that only a small part of its historical heritage survives to this day.
Statistics
Area: 72 square kilometres
Altitude: 239 mtrs above sea level
Population: +/- 22,000
Distance from Nerja: 93 km
Driving Time: +/- 1 hour 30 mins
Location
Places of Interest
Aula Etnográfica Municipal
Museo Bar Costales
The 15th century Iglesia Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
La Fuente Lucena, Arco Árabe del Cobertizo (Moorish Archway)
Ermita deCristo de la Agonía, Ermita de San Antón, Ermita de San Sebastián, Ermita de Santa Vera Cruz
Torre Árabe de Urique (Moorish Tower)
Local Cuisine
Local specialities include: Gazpacho (chilled soup), Gachas (a flour and milk custard with sugar and cinnamon), Migas (fried breadcrumbs with meat), Cachorreñas, Mojetes, and pastries such as mostachones, bizcochos, roscos de huevo and empanadillas.
Local Festivals
Fiestas de San Sebastián (January 20th)
Holy Week
San Juan (June 24th)
Useful Info
Town Hall
Tel: 952 49 00 00
Tel: 952 49 00 01
Tel: 952 49 00 58
Where to Stay
Hotel Alhaurín Golf
Ctra. Comarcal MA-426. Km.15.1.
Tel: 952 595 800/952 596 049 Fax: 952 594 195
Hotel Finca Brisamer
Fuente del Perro, s/n
Tel: 952 595 683 Fax: 952 490 175
Apart-Hotel La Palmera
Plaza de la Palmera, 4
Tel: 952 491 100 Fax: 952 594 375
Apartamentos Turísticos La Peñita
Urb.La Peñita
Tel: 952 490 994 Fax: 952 490 358
Finca La Mota Country Inn
Partido de Hurique
Tel: 952 490 901 Fax: 952 594 120
Hotel el Mirador
Ctra. Málaga – Alhaurín el Grande km.74
Tel: 952 490 789 Fax: 952 595 029