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Monda AREA: 58,10 km² ALTITUDE ABOVE SEA LEVEL: 377 metres AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL: 700 l/m² AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 17 ºC POPULATION CENSUS 1994: 1.634  
The municipal district of Monda is situated on the southern border of the Guadalhorce valley region at the foot of the Coastal Mountain Range. The presence of these sierras bring a scenery of great beauty to this district, as much in the area of the Sierra Alpujata near the municipalities of Ojén and Coín, as in the area of the Sierra Canucha, which is the continuation on the north of the Sierra Blanca in Marbella. At the foot of the Sierra Canucha, the spots of Moratán and Giamón extend with dense cork-oak and holm-oak woods which for their extraordinary beauty have earned their inclusion in the Natural Park of Sierra de las Nieves, with which they connect through the Dehesa de Boornoque situated in the neighbouring Istán. The town of Monda is situated half way up a hill crowned with
an old castle which has been transformed to a great To the north of the municipality, the relief becomes smoother forming a natural corridor through which this municipality communicates with the neighbouring lands of Coín. Here the surroundings are of olive groves and cereal fields. Some historians place the famous battle of Munda between Caesar and Pompey here, but it has not totally been proven; at least not where the present town stands. What does seem true is that with the entrance of the Muslims in the peninsula, the lands which today form the municipality were integrated into the defensive system of the Guadalhorce valley, by the construction of its castle. After the conquest of Malaga by the Christian troops, Monda remains in its jurisdiction and D. Bartolomé Sepúlveda is named mayor, respecting the Arab’s goods in these lands as Mudejares, a situation of cohabitation which lasted until the Moorish rebellion, after which they were expelled in the 16th century.
It is a beautiful town in the Guadalhorce region, to the point that the whole area has been declared a picturesque landscape, in which the stony steep streets, in spite of the new buildings, still conserve their tradtionalism with highly placed doorways to avoid the torrents when it rains. The most important monument is the parish church of Santiago Apóstol, built in the 16th century although it suffered various reforms in the 18th century. Inside it has three naves and in the one with the Gospel one has to take note of the coffering which has exuberant decoration in its vault. On the outskirts there is an altar-calvary built in brick in the 18th century. There are many typical fountains: La Meá, La Jaula, La Esquina and Villa. Around this last one a legend has been woven: the daughters of a Moor king who lived in the missing castle of Mundat - where the spring is - went down to the fountain through a secret passageway where they maintained meetings, which finally were not so secret, with Christian gentlemen.
There is handicraft in iron forging and there are oil and flour factories.
The most traditional dish is ‘gazpacho’ cold soup, as well as ‘mondeña’ soup and ‘imperial’ soup. They also have the typical home made rusks.
From the 16th to the 18th of August are the celebrations dedicated to San Roque, the patron saint of the village. The Easter celebrations are also outstanding.
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History and Landscape
extent, and is surrounded by especially attractive
terraced plots for their contrast with the nearby white houses. 
Places to visit
Shopping
Gastronomy
Festivities and traditions