Totalán
Municipality of the Axarquía

[History] [Places to Visit] [Shopping] [Gastronomy] [Festivities] [Additional Information ]

AREA: 9,30 km² ALTITUDE ABOVE SEA LEVEL: 291 metres AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL: 540 l/m²
AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 17’5 ºC POPULATION CENSUS 1994: 620

HISTORY AND LANDSCAPE

The lands of Totalán, frontier between the Axarquía and the municipality of Malaga, extends over the hollow of the Totalán brook and corresponds to a very moved relief of fissured hills covered in olive trees, almonds trees, thickets, and pastures. The plots, generally with vegetables and some fruits, are scarce and take refuge on the brook’s banks.

The town of Totalán is on a small hill in the centre of the valley, hidden from all the surrounding lands. And also hidden from history, as there is hardly any data concerning this town. We know that in the reconquest era, the town of Totalán appears as a farmstead in the Malaga district. It had a tower which is today practically destroyed. It also seems that in this area, in 1483, near the Moclinejo district, El-Zagal vanquished the Christian armies which coming from Antequera, descended the Totalán brook in order to surprise the Arabic garrisons of the coastal area, who had already been warned.

This municipality suffered harshly from the effects of the phyloxera plague at the end of the 19th century, which caused the abandonment of the farmhouses and lands, an exodus which augmented considerably from 1940.

---



Places to Visit

This small mountainous town is itself part of the landscape. This is its main attraction, its surroundings, and its white, narrow, and steep streets.

The only historical building is the parish church, which dates from the end of the 17th century, its tower outstands, whitewashed and finished off with a four-faced roof.

---

Shopping

There is no known popular handicraft.

---



Gastronomy

The typical dishes are rice stew, lentil soup, bean and chick pea stew. In the summer they have ‘gazpacho’ cold soup.

Here they are also accustomed to eating the typical dishes of the Malaga mountains accompanied by the wines made in the municipality.

---



FESTIVITIES AND TRADITIONS

The local festivities are celebrated in May. On the Saturday before Palm Sunday they usually have a flamenco festival. Sporadically, they celebrate a cattle fair, a tradition with deep historical roots and which is being lost in the last few years.

Up until a few years ago they kept the tradition of the "parrandas", groups of youngsters who sang to the girls during the nights, accompanied by stringed instruments.