Alhama de Granada is still an undiscovered gem. As you approach on the new main road the first impressions aren’t particularly appealing and you might be tempted to keep on driving. That would be a mistake - whilst the modern town that first greets the visitor doesn’t immediately have much to commend it, go behind this facade to find a historic heart of charm and character.
Alhama has many welcoming and varied bars and restaurants to pick from with a choice of indoor & outdoor dining depending on the season. Wherever you sit the costas will feel a million miles away, especially when you get the bill!
The town is famous for its gorge and you can swim in the river or simply watch the aerobatic display put on by swallows and swifts at dusk. There are also hot springs nearby and plenty of beautiful walks in the surrounding countryside with its rolling wheat fields and olive and almond trees.
Alhama de Granada and district was largely missed by the property boom so remains unspoiled and with homes available at sensible prices. This good fortune owes much to the fact that, despite being comparatively close to the coast, access by road was always difficult and slow. That has changed and there are now excellent connections to the motorway network which is just 23 kms or so away. The route down to the coast meanwhile is truly spectacular and a real joy.
Journey time to Malaga airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the traffic and who’s driving (and how fast)!
Jeff Webb, the owner of "The Granada Hotel" we have for sale describes the area this way:
Thirty years ago when one thought of Andalusia, images of sleepy white villages and wide open spaces sprung to mind. Nowadays, so much of that has changed and areas of Andalusia and Southern Spain bear little resemblance to times gone by. Fortunately, Alhama de Granada and the surrounding region have altered little in the past 30 years. Here animals out number cars and the land is still farmed by generations of families. People are more important than possessions and life is to be enjoyed, not rushed.
Alhama de Granada has an ancient history, from the archaeological finds of the Neolithical age to the Romans and Moors. The Roman settlement of Artigi was the predecessor of the present town which developed due to the existence of hot springs, as well as the strategic location, in Andalusia, between Granada and the Malaga coast. Even today it has an enviable position, for within one hour, so much of Andalusia is accessible: the Costa del Sol; the Sierra Nevada mountains and ski resort; the magnificent Alhambra Palace and the cosmopolitan city of Granada.
Many civilisations contributed to Alhama's personality, but none more so than the Arabic influence. Fascinated by the thermal fountain, they built a therapy centre, which is still open today, and they changed the old Roman name for the town (Artigi) into al-Hamman, which means "hot water”. During the 8th century, Syrian Arabs became the local aristocracy travelling between Granada and Malaga and the existence of the Fortress in Alhama is cited in its chronicles from 921 onwards. Its heyday, however, came later, during the 14th century, when it was incorporated into the Nasrid Kingdom and became one of its most important towns in Andalusia, between the capital in Granada and the seaport of Malaga.
However, the peaceful life of the town was cut short by a surprise attack in 1482. Whilst the governor was at a wedding in Velez Malaga, Alhama was assaulted in a raid led by the Marquis of Cadiz, who scaled the walls of the town and took possession of the castle.
The Castillians established themselves in the area and it marked the end of the Nasrid era. The appearance of the town changed over the following years as the new settlers constructed churches, public buildings and stately homes. In Alhama de Granada the heritage of Al-Andalus combining with that of later centuries is visually apparent, no more so than in the medina and the moorish quarter.
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