Alfacar
Granada · Andalucía
Alfacar is a historic town approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the city of Granada, in the autonomous Spanish region of Andalusia. In the 2005 census, INE reported its population as 5107 inhabitants. The town is on the edge of the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park and is in a region of intensive olive production. The town is 920 metres (3,020 ft) above sea level, but the local fossil record contains marine molluscs that show the profound geological forces that have shaped the region. The area has been occupied by humans since prehistory. A very important neolithic site - la Barranca de Las Majolicas - is within the town, and human remains, decorated ceramics, and bone tools and ornaments have been found there. Between 711 and 1492, most of Spain was governed by a series of Muslim dynasties and monarchs. We do not fully understand the origins of the name Alfacar, but in this era the Arabic name "al-Fajjar" (´the house of the potter´) was first applied to the settlement. The town was a summer retreat for the Muslim Zirite kings (1010-1090). There are few visible architectural relics from this time. The Arabs adapted the Fuente Grande to channel its waters to Granada, and the old heart of the town retains the structure of an Arab settlement. The Christian Reconquest of Spain culminated on 2 January 1492 when Boabdil, the last Muslim king of Granada, surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Thirteen days before, the Muslim population of Alfacar capitulated to the advancing forces. History shows that the Arab inhabitants of Alfacar continued living in relative peace under the new regime and did not participate in the subsequent unsuccessful uprising of the "Moriscos". However, this did not prevent their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula in 1579 during the reign of Philip II, after which Alfacar was repopulated by Castillian Spanish families. An important building that dates from this period is the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady (La Iglesia de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora), built on the site of a former church that was destroyed in 1557 and in turn was situated over the foundations of a former mosque. The town is most famous for the death of poet and dramatist, Federico García Lorca, born 1898 in nearby (23 kilometres (14 mi)) Fuente Vaqueros. On 19 August 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces detained him. He was subsequently shot during the early morning at a location between Alfacar and the neighbouring village of Víznar. The circumstances of his assassination and the location of his grave remain a controversy. The town of Alfacar has grown considerably from its ancient centre. It has recently suffered from the economic crisis and many construction projects remain unfinished, while various businesses have been forced to close. There is evidence of regeneration with new shops and restaurants opening, and Alfacar is renowned throughout the region for its famous bakeries which probably date back to Arab times and provide many shops in Granada with fresh daily bread. Alfacar is well provided with shops, a medical centre, theatre, sports centre and many other facilities. However, what remains of the historic centre of the town is under serious threat from neglect and redevelopment. An example is the 15th-16th century Arco de Somera, an ancient store room situated above an arched alleyway, which is urgently in need of stabilization. The countryside around Alfacar abounds with wildlife including Iberian ibex, wild cat and wild boar, and in spring one can find many species of orchids, bulbs and other wild flowers. The adjacent protected region of Sierra de Huétor has an excellent visitors centre and is a popular destination for walkers. There are extensive regenerated pine forests, large areas of native evergreen oaks and the rare Spanish conifer, Abies pinsapo, has been reintroduced here. Alfacar is also famous for the blue butterfly Lysandra bellargus ssp. alfacariensis, that was first identified in the area.
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Origins
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History
El municipio alfacareño es una de las treinta y cuatro entidades que componen el área metropolitana de Granada, y comprende los núcleos de población de Alfacar —capital municipal— y Fuente Grande.
La localidad es conocida por el prestigio de sus hornos de pan y toda la industria panificadora que de ello depende. Cuenta con más de medio centenar de panaderías, entre despachos y obradores. Desde 2006, el pan de Alfacar es un sello de protección IGP de la Unión Europea.
Cabe destacar que en el término de Alfacar murió el poeta Federico García Lorca, asesinado durante la guerra civil española. Aunque se cree que sus restos mortales yacen aún en el lugar donde fue ejecutado, no se ha podido establecer con certeza.
Monuments
•Fosas del Barranco de Víznar
•Fábrica de tejidos de la familia Moreno
•Baños Árabes
•Cruz de Alfacar
•Cruz de Nívar
•Palacio del Cuzco
•Cortijo de los Morenos
What to visit
•Museo Etnológico Molino de la Venta
•Arco de Somera
Gallery
Festivals
September 2026
Festivals this month
- No festivals recorded this month.
Rest of the year
- January: San Sebastián (20)
- August: Fiestas de Verano (25)
What's on
Street market
Mercadillo semanal: Miércoles, de 09:00 a 14:00 · Calle Ángel de la Higuera López
Gastronomy
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Trails and hiking
•Ruta de senderismo Peñón de la Mata (15.4 km)
•Cruz de Víznar (SL-A 123, 5.2 km)
•Cuevas y cruces de la Sierra de la Alfaguara (18 km)
•Sendero Fuente del Fraile-Sanatorio (7.2 km)
•Puerto Lobo - El Sotillo (33 km)
•Sendero Barranco de Víznar (1.5 km)
•Cueva del Agua (6.5 km)
•Itinerario de las Trincheras
•Puerto Alfacar - Alfaguara (5.4 km)
•Trincheras de los Atajuelos (R1, 15.2 km)
•Cortijo Finca del Cura
•Ruta de las Acequias
Services
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Famous people
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Town hall
Gobierno municipal:
En las elecciones municipales de 2023, el Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) fue la candidatura más votada con 1768 sufragios (65,28 %), lo que le otorgó 9 concejales, seguido del Partido Popular (PP) con 616 votos (22,74 %) y 3 ediles. Izquierda Unida (IU) alcanzó 205 votos (7,57 %) y 1 concejal, mientras que Vox, con 96 votos (3,54 %), no obtuvo representación.
Evolución de la deuda viva municipal:
El concepto de deuda viva contempla sólo las deudas con cajas y bancos relativas a créditos financieros, valores de renta fija y préstamos o créditos transferidos a terceros, excluyéndose, por tanto, la deuda comercial.
A 31 de diciembre de 2024, el Ayuntamiento de Alfacar tenía una deuda pública viva de 1 250 853 €.
Town hall of Alfacar
Gobierno municipal: En las elecciones municipales de 2023, el Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) fue la candidatura más votada con 1768 sufragios (65,28 %), lo que le otorgó 9 concejales, seguido del Partido Popular (PP) con 616 votos (22,74 %) y 3 ediles. Izquierda Unida (IU) alcanzó 205 votos (7,57 %) y 1 concejal, mientras que Vox, con 96 votos (3,54 %), no obtuvo representación. Evolución de la deuda viva municipal: El concepto de deuda viva contempla sólo las deudas con cajas y bancos relativas a créditos financieros, valores de renta fija y préstamos o créditos transferidos a terceros, excluyéndose, por tanto, la deuda comercial. A 31 de diciembre de 2024, el Ayuntamiento de Alfacar tenía una deuda pública viva de 1 250 853 €.
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How to get there
- 🚗 9 km from Granada (about 6 min by car)
- 🚗 119 km from Málaga (about 84 min by car)
🧭 Travelling around the villages of Spain: a practical guide — Opening hours, transport, money and customs, before you set off.
- ✈️ 24 km from Granada-Jaén airport (about 17 min by car)
- ✈️ 129 km from Málaga-Costa del Sol airport (about 91 min by car)
Practical info
🅿️ Where to park
- Where to park · 0.5 km away
- Where to park · 0.6 km away
- Where to park · 1.9 km away
🏧 Nearest cash machine
- Caixabank · 0.4 km away
- Caja Granada · 1.5 km away
- Caixabank · 2.7 km away
⛽ Nearest petrol station
- BP · 0.5 km away
- Estación de Servicio BP Chencho · 3 km away
- Estación de Servicio Nuestra Señora del Carmen · 3.3 km away
🔭 Viewpoints
- Viewpoints · 1.5 km away
- Viewpoints · 3 km away
- Viewpoints · 3.3 km away
🏖️ Where to swim
- Piscina Municipal de Maracena · 5.9 km away
Buses
34 paradas de autobús en el municipio:
•Cementerio
•Iglesia Jun
•Avenida de Granada
•Cruce Urbanización Abén Humeya
•Glorieta Mariana Pineda
•Calle López-Mezquita
•Luis Javier
•Gabriel Morcillo
Pharmacy and health
Sanidad:
El municipio cuenta un centro de salud de atención primaria y urgencias situado en la avenida Federico García Lorca s/n, dependiente del distrito sanitario Metropolitano de Granada. El área hospitalaria de referencia es el Hospital Ruiz de Alda de Granada capital.
Educación:
Los centros educativos que hay en el municipio son:
Transporte y comunicaciones:
Las principales vías de comunicación que transcurren por el municipio son:
Algunas distancias entre Alfacar y otras ciudades:
Wall and news
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Obituaries
There are no obituaries published right now in Alfacar.
In loving memory
There are no memorials in Alfacar yet.
Videos
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