Alhaurín el Grande. A town with the heart of a village.
Credit: Ayuntamiento de Alhaurín el Grande
The council of Alhaurín el Grande is currently offering four fascinating and free bilingual guided tours of the Guardalhorce town in Spanish and English.
The free tours need no preregistration and run from Monday to Fridays throughout October 2024. The morning walking tours will be a fantastic way for Alhaurín natives and newbies to meet and learn some fascinating facts about their surroundings.
The first one, Monday to Friday at 10am, is a tour of the beautiful twisting streets of the Casco Viejo (Old Town), which meets in Plaza Baja. This writer particularly recommends taking a bottle of water after a delicious light breakfast at Panadería Carnero. The tour takes in the picturesque Pueblo Blanco streets and some monuments of note, along with stories and anecdotes most have never heard before.
The next one starts at 11am in Parque de la Arquilla del Agua, at the top of the hill next to El Rincón restaurant. ‘La ruta del agua y la artesanía’ (or the water and crafts route) traces the importance of tradition and water supply in the town. A breakfast of churros beforehand at Bar Gali should give you enough energy for this outing.
Brenan & Thörlichen, Alhaurín’s adopted sons
The third free tour is a guided visit of the Brenan & Thörlichen foundations at the town’s library. Gerald Brenan, whose name can be found all around town, was a British writer and member of the Bloomsbury Group, who was so loved in Alhaurín el Grande, locals campaigned for him to be brought over and spend his final days in the town. Gustavo Thörlichen was a famous German painter and photographer who also made Alhaurín his home after having travelled the world and gaining fans in all corners, including Ché Guevara. Thörlichen finally lived in Alhaurín until his death in 1986, bequeathing all his artworks to the town.
The fourth free guided tour on offer meets at the Aperos de Labranza room at the wholesale market on the Cártama road opposite the Repsol garage. The guided tour starts every day at 12pm and discusses the customs and traditions of Alhaurín el Grande, as well as a chance of picking up some fruit and veg along the way.
