Alhaurin
"Garden of God"
Situated at the foot of the northern slopes of the Mijas mountains, Alhaurín el Grande is set within one of the most picturesque parts of the Guadalhorce area and offers wonderful views over the entire valley.
The land itself is rich in fruit and vegetable fields as well as and olive and cereal groves. The municipality has other urban areas apart from Alhaurín itself, the result of its agricultural development, such as Villafranco del Guadalhorce, el Cigarral and la Fuente del Perro. The principal river is the Fahala, into which the Jurique and the Torres streams flow. There is also the Pasadas river, which flows from the Barranco Blanco area through beautiful waterfalls and lakes. The original name has led to much discussion in the past and from the archaeological remains from various periods we know of human settlement presence of the area from Neolithic, Iberian, Greek, Roman and Visigoth times.
The Moors called it ‘Alhaurín’ meaning ‘The Garden of Allah’, and after the re-conquest the ‘El Grande’ was added to distinguish it from its neighbouring Alhaurín de la Torre. Alhaurin el Grande was re-conquered by the Christian forces in May of 1485, when it was incorporated into the Castillian crown. Its Council was established in 1492, and in 1505 the parish church was built. Shortly afterwards the Royal Hospital of Santa Catalina was built, and in 1634, the people of the town purchased jurisdiction and the title ‘villa’ from the crown, which included the Bourbon fleur-de-lis on the coat-of-arms. The history of the town in the 18th century is recorded in the land registry of the Marqués de la Ensenada, whose documents dating from 1751 are conserved in the Municipal Library. During the 19th century this was the place where the richer families of Málaga city had their leisure homes.
Nowadays, the town has developed into a thriving multi-cultural community, mainly due to the fact that, along with Mijas pueblo, it is the one of the first natural points of migration for those who do not wish to live on the coast. The expansion and growth of the Inland areas has seen Alhaurín develop into a self-sufficient town full of contrast which has a lot to offer for locals and immigrants alike. It has managed to achieve a balance between rural and town life which will doubtlessly make it an attractive place to settle for many newcomers for many years to come. However, its strong character and sense of tradition will hopefully ensure that it never loses its true identity.
