Algarrobo: Moorish Townscape and Mediterranean

Townscape and Coast

Located inland, Algarrobo has a Moorish-influenced town structure on the slopes of two hills, offering impressive views of the Mediterranean.

Algarrobo is one of the seven municipalities that make up the Ruta del Sol y del Vino; this route connects the coast and inland areas.

As you stroll through Algarrobo’s winding, steep streets, you will notice niches for the veneration of saints on some façades.

Within the municipality of Algarrobo, Playa Algarrobo is an urban beach measuring 800 metres in length and 20 metres in width, consisting mainly of pebbles and dark sand.

Playa Algarrobo offers bus access, parking, toilets, showers, restaurants, a lifeguard station and amphibious chairs for people with reduced mobility.

Culture and History

The Iglesia de Santa Ana was founded in 1505 and dates from the late 16th or early 17th century.

Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross; the church has three naves and ceilings made of Mudéjar timber framework.

The Ermita de San Sebastián on the hill of Egido is surrounded by gardens.

Because of its poor condition, the chapel was rebuilt in 1976 as an exact copy of the original 16th-century building.

The Torre Derecha, also known as Torre Nueva, is an 18th-century coastal fort used for coastal surveillance and the transmission of smoke signals.

The Torre Ladeada is a Christian structure from the period after the Reconquista, standing 10 metres high and leaning at an angle of approximately 18°.

Trayamar is a Phoenician necropolis dating from the 7th century BC; it illustrates the development of Phoenician burial practices from cremation to inhumation.

Morro de Mezquitilla features settlement from the Phoenician Archaic period, later Roman remains, square residential structures and ovens.

The Romería de San Isidro is a long-standing local celebration that has been kept alive across generations.

It includes a procession of the saint to Parque de la Vega and a traditional horse race featuring ribbon loops.

The Fiesta de la Quema commemorates 24 September 1811, when the inhabitants of Algarrobo prevented French troops from burning down the town.

Cuisine

Within the municipality of Algarrobo, Mezquitilla has preserved its tradition as a fishing village alongside its tourist activity.

Torta de Algarrobo is an oil-based pastry of Arab origin and is considered the municipality of Algarrobo’s most representative culinary product.

Traditional Algarrobo cuisine includes ajoblanco, gazpacho, potaje algarrobeño, kid in sauce, sardine espetos and, on the coast, moraga de pescado.

Other places: Mollina, Canillas De Albaida, Torremolinos, Alpandeire, El Mopagán, Villafranco del Guadalhorce, Valdés, Fuente De Piedra

For the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.