LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE FERTILE GUADALHORCE VALLEY, COÍN IS THE MOST VALUABLE AGRICULTURAL STOREHOUSE OF THE COSTA DEL SOL, THIS WHITE VILLAGE PAYS HOMAGE TO WATER SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, A SOURCE OF LIFE THAT PERMEATES ITS HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND PROSPEOUS ECONOMY.

It is not easy to determine the exact date of the origins of Coín, given the lack of documents However, its magnificent location (kind climate and orography), as well as the area's abundant water springs, lead us to believe that this settlement has a very remote past.
A suspicion proven by the finding of ceramics and objects in the Cerro de Carranque, Llano de la Virgen ro Cerro del Aljibe sites.

However, may historians coincide in stating the Muslim period as the period when Coín was founded, specifically during the Renegade rebellion of Omar Ben Hafsum against the Córdoba emirate (920-921). According to this theory, it was an important man from Córdoba who reconstructed the Dakwan castle to harass the Bobastro enclave.Thus, Coín was erected next to the castle foundations. In this area, surrounded by the Arab fortress wall, the first important population nucleus was established. For five centuries, the main economic activity was agriculture, as well as the use of water, through the mills, many of which have been preserved until today. The importance of water and fertility of the land are still two basic elements of present-day Coín.

The Christian Reconquest, which took place in 1485, caused the destruction of the town, due to the strong resistance of the Coín inhabitants. From 1487 the repopularion began, through the distribution system by express wish of the Catholic Monarchs, who through that in this way a community of self-sufficient farmers would be founded. At that time the building of religious temples also began, in order to bring the Christian religion to the new settlers.

City of churches
The old Dakwan mosque was the site of the first church in Coín, Santa María de la Encarnación. It soon was too small, thus Queen Isabel "The Catholic" sent a letter from Jaén, in October 1498, ordering the construction of the San Juan church on a plot of the Muslim castle; it became a parish in 1505, as appears in the "History of Coín" by the local historian Roque Naranjo.
The solemnity of this temple has made it one of the most important churches of the province, it also holds many images that are object of a great devotion by the inhabitants. Convents were also created on the outskirts of the village, which also extended its primitive road network. The first was the Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, located some three kilometres outside of Coín, which held the order of the Trinitarios Calzados from 1505 onwards. Recently the only remaining section of the convent, the triangular tower, has been restored. This one and the one in the Archidona parish are the only two existing in the entire province of Málaga.

The figures of the bishops of Málaga play an important role in the history of Coín as, attracted by the climate, the abundance of water and the fertility of the land, they chose the town as their place for resting, at the same time leaving their mark by cessions of the main fountains of the town, a typical feature of the village, as well as the Episcopal Palace.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the layout of the town did not change, although the different neighbourhoods began to emerge. The main transformation of the town took place in the 20th century, even acquiring the title of "City" in the reign of Alfonso XIII. In 1912 the railway from Coín to Málaga was inaugurated, which was a new impulse to local economy. This fact delighted the inhabitants, who saw in this transportation a way to progress.
The urban expansion of the mid-20th century translated into an increase in the population. From the decade of the 50's to the 90's, Coín had in excess of 20.000 inhabitants, becoming the most populated town of the Guadalhorce region. This allowed a few years of great economic productivity, with the proliferation of construction and agriculture. However, from the 90's onwards the population decreased and at present there are less than 18.000 inhabitants due to the exodus of the young to the capital or to the coast.

Water, trade and cinema
The "Source" is the place where the water that supplies the town and its main rural districts emanates. During times of drought, the main worry of the townspeople ins that the stone where it springs from does not dry. There is even a legend that says that if this rock should move, no more water would come from this source.
The activity of the wholesale market had (and has) a great importance and its new enclosure is planned for the outskirts of the town, in the rural district of La Trocha. Trading of the citric fruit that grows in the area is very important, as the oranges, lemons and tangerines from Coín are of excellent quality. In addition, medlars, plums, apples and a large variety of vegerables and legumes are also produced here. In addition to these products the bread baked in the ovens, in many cases kneaded by hand and baked in a clay oven, is much in demand. This bread is sold daily in many towns of the Costa del Sol, as well as the traditional confectionery, such as the Coín doughnuts, filled with fig paste.
The raising of stock also has its value, mainly pork, which puts in motion a chain of production and sale of pork products. A manufacturing process that still follows ancient tradition and which is carried out after the ancestral rite of the slaughter of the pig.
But there is even more. In Coín you can purchase objects of green ceramic, typical of the area, which are pruduced from the wheels of the pottery workshops. Traditional and industrial production is combined, aimed at a large local development. Thus, there are four cooperatives given over to clothing articles, in which a large number of women are employed.
The Ciudad del Cine (Cinema City), which can be visited, is located at present in a hotel complex next to the plain of the Water Source. These are studios that have film sets where all type of productions are filmed, mainly for television. These installations have become the most modern of Andalusia. Coín is a village that has grown in an orderly fashion, respecting the features of a fertile location where water is revered, above all.