Dúrcal

Map of Dúrcal

Upcoming events in Dúrcal

In 21 weeks (Wednesday, Feb. 3rd 2010)
Festival of Saint Blas
In 51 weeks (Tuesday, Aug. 31st 2010)
Festividad de San Ramn

Just 15 minutes drive from Granada, Durcal is a thriving Spanish town of shops and businesses. Like most traditional Spanish towns its hub is its town hall (Ayuntamiento) and church situated in the main square. Leading off from the square is El Paseo, a tree lined pedestrian area long considered Durcals meeting place. Boasting its own website with a wealth of news, local information and activities, the town also has a more traditional market once a week where you can buy a wide range of fruits, vegetables, clothing and household goods. Because of its inland location the property prices remain considerable lower than those on the coast. Bao de Urquizar (Bao Chico)

Author: Angel Melguizo

History

Durcal's location on the route from Spains southern coast to Granada city has had a big influence of its development. Although a settlement before the Moorish invasion of Spain cannot be ruled out, it was the Arabic rulers of the region who established the origins of modern day Durcal. Indeed the name Durcal derives from the Arabic word Quasb an allusion to the cultivation of sugar cane and the orchards of orange and lemon trees in the area at the time. Following the conquest of the region by the Catholic Kings, Durcal became the departure point for many Moorish families returning to Africa as they fled the country to avoid persecution or were forcibly expelled by the triumphant Christians. The town continued to grow however and in the 19th Century a cable car was built between Durcal and Motril in order to transport merchandise from the port in Motril to the town. This continued until 1958 when the cable car was dismantled to make way for a railway. The promised railway never arrived, and indeed to this day, the only sign of the plan is an iron bridge which was built to carry it!

Attractions

There are two main festivals celebrated in Durcal each year, one between 2 - 4th February in honour of Saint Blas, patron saint of the town, and the other on the 31st August for Saint Ramon. The latter festival includes Culture week in Durcal. If you arrive in Durcal at other times there is still plenty to see including the 19th century church of the Immaculate Conception, the hermitage of Saint Blas and the remains of the Arab castle situated on the Pen de los Moros. Food wise the town depends less on fish than the most coastal towns of the region and more on cereals, meats and olives preserved with garlic, red peppers or anchovies. Home made wine is also popular, or for the more abstemious the local spring water, which is believed to be good for digestive problems.