The town is situated on the scenic Mudejar Route, at 645 metres altitude in the foothills of the Sierra Tejada mountain range, on the highest mountain in Axarquia, La Maroma which reaches 2,080 metres. The natural spring from the mountain attracts people from far away due to a belief that if the pure water is drunk, illness is prevented. Nearby is the spectacular canyon of the River Almachares where picnic and bar-be-que areas are provided. The nearby Cave of La Fajara and the Rahíges Nature Reserve are also worth visiting.
"El Dia de la Morcilla", the Day of the Black Pudding, is celebrated in springtime and attracts a very large crowd to taste the thousands of kilos of free samples along with generous quantities of beer and wine. Details of this and other annual festivals can be found at the fiestas link at the bottom of this page.
The village is of Moorish origin from which time a water tank and tower are preserved. The tower, which stands opposite to the town hall, is known as The Moorish
Queen and has paired arches in Mudejar style. The church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario is of Gothic-Mudejar style built in the 16th century and stands at the top
of the village. It contains paintings, sculptures and objects made from precious metals. The village was a refuge for Mozarab people - Christians that kept their
religion and customs during Muslim dominance.
The town
derived its name from the 8th century Moorish name of Azeytuni. Despite the similarity to the Spanish word for olive, 'aceituno' is the Arab word for a coloured
fabric made with silk. It was once an important alqueria specialising in the production of this cloth which was sent to Granada for export. During the 16th and 17th
centuries, under Christian rule, the village continued to trade in silk. The offices for the control of the trade were housed in a building called the House of Tithes.
It is understood that originally, when this house was built, it had a royal proprietor. In the 20th century it became a tavern and almond ware-house but today is
uninhabited.
A public outdoor swimming pool, with bar, children's pool and playground is located on the outskirts of the village and is also a venue for live music. As
with the whole village, this is surrounded by superb mountain, lake and sea views.
Useful Numbers:
Chemist: 952 518 070
Emergency Doctor: 061
Emergency Police: 091
Town Hall and Council: 952 518 002
In-Site Links:
