Alhaurin de la Torre

The municipality covers an area of 82 km ² between the Sierra de Mijas and the Hoya de Malaga, and is crossed by the river Guadalhorce. It is the most populous region of Guadalhorce and the third biggest in the province, with 33,567 inhabitants, behind Antequera and Ronda.

Alhaurin de la Torre saw a notable rise in population in the 90s due the expansion of the metropolitan area of Malaga. The population density is 409.35 inhabitants / km ²

The city was origionaly founded by the Phoenicians, mainly from Libya. Since 1991, it is the location of the provincial prison in Malaga, on the outskirts of the town.

The town is located at the bottom of Mount Jabalcuza, which is the highest peak in the municipality.

Robins, starling, owls, sparrows and hawks such as kestrels, and many other birds are often seen flying over the landscape. As for mammals these include many hares, the dormouse and some wild mountain goats and foxes.

The exploitation of the mountain due to its large limestone quarries, which supply aggregates to the region foe construction, is the main environmental problem in Alhaurin de la Torre, because of the extensive destruction of the landscape that it produces.

The township sits between the Sierra de Mijas, with its pine tree and oak covered mountains belonging to the Cordillera Penibetica and the Hoya de Malaga, alluvial depression formed by the Guadalhorce river, which irrigates the whole region and which is occupied by numerous orchards.

Alhaurin de la Torre is located by the co-ordinates 36 ° 40'0 "N 4 ° 33'0" W / 36.66667, -4.55, to 99 masl. It borders the towns of Malaga to the east, north Cartama, Torremolinos Mijas, Benalmadena and Alhaurin el Grande

The hydrography of Alhaurin de la Torre is weak in terms of river flow. But includes the passage of the Guadalhorce river through the town along with numerous streams, most are very dry or very little flow.

Alhaurin of climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild winters without snow, except sometimes in the mountains. Temperatures are mild, with 17.0 ° C on average and more than 320 days of sunshine a year (2920 hours sunshine per year on average). In summer, temperatures have reached over 40 ° C on several occasions. The rainfall is generally scarce but torrential when it does come, with an average of 550 l/m2.

This topic is often the subject of numerous demonstrations and mobilizations of neighbors calling the cessation of quarrying in the area. Because of these problems, setting up the Platform of Defense Health and Sierra (PDSS), indefense of the Sierra de Mijas, from the quarries that threaten the towns

Another major environmental problems in Alhaurin de la Torre is the diversion of streams and land occupation by the uncontrolled construction of buildings and housing developments, although at present the construction in the area has been hampered by the economic crisis of 2008.

It has a population of 33,567 inhabitants, which results in a population density of 409.35 inhabitants per km ². It is the most populous city of the Valle del Guadalhorce, ahead of other places like Alhaurin el Grande (22,785 inhabitants), Coin (21,484 inhabitants), or Alora (13,436 inhabitants), and is the third most populous municipality of the interior and the twelfth of the total of the province.

The population of Alhaurin de la Torre is on the rise due to expanding metropolitan area of Malaga, from 12,874 inhabitants in 1991 to 30,281 in 2006. As for the foreign population, it has also increased the number, the census, noting the residents from many countries most notably the UK and China.

Vegetation consists of pine, oak and plenty of Mediterranean scrub, like thyme, rosemary, palmetto, fennel and esparto. Pine forests in the lower areas of the mountain are often accompanied by carob and olive trees. Coscoja, lentiscus, juniper, cornicabra, Torviscas and the accompanying rockrose oak. Floral vegetation is very diverse, including jasmine, geranium and rose due to the many existing parks and gardens. In the mountains are the orchids.

Costa del Sol Towns