Carob tree (Spain)

Algarrobo is a Spanish municipality in the province of Málaga, Andalusia. It limits to the north with the municipality of Arenas and Sayalonga, to the east and west with Vélez-Málaga and to the south with the Mediterranean Sea.

Northwest: Arenas	North: Arenas	Northeast: Sayalonga
WestVélez-Málaga		This: Sayalonga and Vélez-Málaga (exclave)
Southwest: Vélez-Málaga	South: Mediterranean Sea	Sureste: Vélez-Málaga (exclave)

In 2016 it had 6,232 inhabitants recognized by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Its surface area is 9.73 km² and it has a density of 627.23 inhab/km². Its geographic coordinates are 36º46'N, 4º2'O. It is located at an altitude of 86 meters and 39 kilometers from the provincial capital, Malaga.

The relief of the territory is characterized by the eastern Costa del Sol and the so-called Vélez massif, an orography of hills, medium-height hills, valleys and valleys, very typical of La Axarquía. The maximum altitude of the municipality is about 400 meters.

The main population center is Algarrobo, a town with Arabic architecture located 3.5 kilometers from the coast. Other towns in the municipality are Algarrobo Costa, Mezquitilla and Trayamar.

History

Its origins probably date back to the Paleolithic, although the first documented prehistoric settlement dates from the Copper Age. The Phoenician necropolis of Trayamar and the remains found in the Morro de Mezquitilla have been cataloged by the German professors Schubart and Niemeyer as one of the most important Phoenician remains existing in the West.

The entry of the Arabs into the Iberian Peninsula led to a resurgence when Berbers from Algiers founded the town of Algarrobo further inland and introduced crops such as raisins or almonds and small silk clothing industries. In 1487, when the Christian troops took the city of Vélez Málaga and the fortress of Bentomiz, Algarrobo passed to the crown of Castile. In 1492, the towns of Salares, Algarrobo and Benescalera became lordships, being granted to the sons of Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones, adelantado mayor of Andalusia.

Politics and Administration

The political administration of the municipality is carried out through a democratically managed City Council whose members are elected every four years by universal suffrage. The electoral census is made up of all residents registered in Algarrobo over the age of 18 and nationals of Spain and the other member states of the European Union. According to the provisions of the General Electoral Regime Law, which establishes the number of eligible councilors based on the population of the municipality, the Municipal Corporation of Algarrobo is made up of 13 councilors.

Annex: Municipal elections in Algarrobo

Monuments

Ladeada Tower or Portichuelo.

Torre Derecha or Torre Nueva

• Church of Santa Ana, centuryXVI.
• Hermitage of San Sebastian, dates from the centuryXVII or centuryXVII. In 1976 it had to be rebuilt in the image of the previous one, because of the danger of collapse it presented.
• Hermitage of Las Angustias, located at the exit of Algarrobo Norte. Despite not being an architectural gem, in the municipality is very dear, and all the girlfriends of the village will bring their bouquet of flowers there.
• Torre Ladeada or Torre del Portichuelo (XVI century) and Torre Derecha or Torre Nueva (1755), both are located in Algarrobo Costa.

Parties

• Pattern, San Sebastian: January 20. It celebrates all day with dances, food and attractions for the youngest. When the night arrives, the San Sebastian transfer takes place from the Church of Santa Ana to the hermitage of San Sebastian, accompanied by the municipal gang of the town and illuminated by wheels and fireworks.
• Holy Week: March or April, according to the first full moon of spring.
• Fair: first week of August (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
• Cultural Week: Week that coincides with the anniversary of the death of Cervantes, and in which the day of the Book and Culture is celebrated.
• Algarrobo burning: recreation of an episode of the War of Independence between September 23 and 24, 1811. The third weekend of September is normally held
• Oktoberfest of Algarrobo

Gastronomy

This municipality in the province of Malaga has numerous tropical crops (avocados, custard apples, mangoes, papayas, etc.) and greenhouse crops, which are part of the gastronomic wealth of this town. Algarrobo is located between the sea and the mountains, so we can find in its cuisine a wide variety of foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, anchovies, sardines, poplars, almonds, raisins, figs, etc. And among its typical products, wine and carob cakes, highly appreciated throughout the Province.

In its gastronomy, it is worth highlighting:

• Ajoblanco: Ajoblanco is a traditional recipe for Andalusian culture. It is a cold soup that, according to the popular recipe, is made with raw almonds, garlic, bread crumb, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. It soaks the crumb with water and is crushed along with the skinless almonds, oil, vinegar, salt and a little water until a fine cream is then diluted with cold water. It's served in bowls and it's not wearing ice. Although there is a fashion to incorporate pieces of melon, the ajoblanco is taken with grapes flytel.

• Scabies of sardines: it is prepared on the beach based on several sardines enlarged by a cane and roasted in the coals of small bonfires.

• Gazpacho in salpicón: it is a gazpacho similar to the Andalusian but without crushing all very small bitten. It is prepared in cold garlic, bread crumb, oil, water, vinegar, tomato and salt, with or without pepper and cucumber.

• Dry or fresh.

• Oil torches: pastry.

We also find: fish casserole with rice, choto in sauce, carob stew and fennel stew.

Economy

Evolution of outstanding municipal debt

Graphic of evolution of living debt of the City of Algarrobo between 2008 and 2020

Living debt of Algarrobo City Council in thousands of euros according to data from the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.

Illustrious people

• Enrique Ramos