Costa del Sol Holidays in the Town of Alhaurin el Grande

Alhaurin el Grande is a town in the province of Malaga in Andalucia, southern Spain: 30 kilometres from the provincial capital and 239 metres above sea level in an area best known for COSTA DEL SOL HOLIDAYS. It is situated on the river Fahala Blas Gonzalez. The coast is nearby with Fuengirola and Mijas just along a winding road around the mountain and a new major road was recently built through to Marbella to the southwest. At Alhaurin there is a point of view of Hoya de Malaga which is full of citrus and other fruit trees.

Villa del Guadalhorce Franco is a village in Alhaurin el Grande municipality. It was founded by families of settlers in the 1950s and supported by the Instituto Nacional de Colonizacion and the Spanish government. The forested areas to the south-east of the village of Alhaurin el Grande have traces of Neolithic occupation: silent witnesses of a long history of the area.

By the time the Romans arrived, a small colony of Iberians was already well established in the Sierra de Mijas, but if it had that name the Romans decided not to register it. Instead, they gave one of its members: the village became Lauro Nova. It was apparently a place blessed by the gods: fertile, temperate and surrounded by hills rich in mineral deposits of value. Roman villas have popped up around the centre of the village and the hills are still full of their remains.

It was a golden age which was a bit uneven at the time of the Visigoths. The city was not endangered but its development was extremely slow. It was not until the Moors took it and built a fortress on a hill called Torres Fahala that it started prospering again. The Moors also gave a new name: Alhaurin which means "Garden of Allah". Like the Romans before them, which was attached the canton to another, they gave the same name. It's now known as Alhaurin el Grande and Alhaurin de la Torre.

The fort was destroyed in the destructive zeal of the Reconquista but at least the village survived. In the following centuries the city has suffered invasions, plagues and an earthquake in 1680. During the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1814 it was held for four years by French troops and suffered considerable bombardment. Recently there have been several major reconstruction projects, some which are under investigation for corruption.

Some vestiges of the old town survived, which means that there is still somewhere to enjoy your COSTA DEL SOL HOLIDAYS. There is a 12th century Moorish arch and in the small square in front of City Hall, Town Hall Square, three Roman columns which were discovered near the Sunwell.

About the Author

Porsche is an avid traveller throughout the holiday region of Spain. She loves writing about all of those special hideaways we all would love to find so keep reading about all of her travels and things to do in this lovely country. At present she is travelling and writing for Akilar.com and telling you just why you should book your dream Spain Holiday Rentals home from the Owners Direct.