Despite the fact that the municipality of Moclinejo has no very high elevations (its highest points are the Córdoba hill in the north at 708 metres and the 673 metre Piedrasblancas hill, over one of whose slopes the village is spread) its terrain is especially steep and cut by deep ravines due to the proximity of the Málaga mountains.

The streams that cross the municipality (Valdés and Granadilla) are short and only have water after fairly heavy rains, so vegetation is scant and arboreal species are limited to olive and almond trees. Together with grapes, these form the basis of the Moclinejenses’ economy. Use of machinery for tilling the soil is difficult because of the steepness of the terrain except in the area drained by the Valdés stream, where there are productive market gardens and orchards.
As there is no record whatever of settlements before the arrival of the Arabs it can be accepted as fact that this village is of Muslim origin, as is clearly shown both by the site that was selected for the village and by the layout of the streets in its old quarter. The origin of the locality’s name, however, is less clear. In fifteenth and sixteenth century chronicles, it appears without discrimination as Moclinetum, Molinete, Moclinete, Mohinete or Molinillo.

 

An important historic event occurred in these lands a few years before the conquest of Málaga. A Christian army of 2,700 cavalry and 1,000 infantry under the command of Alonso Aguilar arrived at Moclinejo in March 1483 and its residents immediately grabbed their belongings and ran to seek refuge in the castle. Finding no booty of any kind in the village or the nearby farmhouses to carry away, the infuriated Christian army set fire to the community.
In response, the Muslims emerged from the castle and launched large quantities of arrows and rocks from the highest point, resulting in numerous casualties among the Christian army. In memory of that resounding defeat, there is a ravine that is still called “Hoya de los Muertos” (Valley of the Dead).

There is nothing at all remarkable about Moclinejo’s history in later eras. Like the rest of the villages, it was conquered by the Christians and saw the expulsion of the Moors in the sixteenth century. Its economy slowly came to depend on grapes and wine until the appearance of the phylloxera pest in 1875, whose first outbreaks were detected here. It destroyed more than 200,000 vines the first year and put an end to the village’s main product.

Outstandings Visits:
The village of Moclinejo lies on a hill practically in the centre of its municipal territory. Its short and steep streets go uphill and down with no evidence of planning in their layout and are lined with one- and two story houses that are whitewashed to the maximum degree. The Plaza de España is the nerve centre of the village and it is there that the most noteworthy buildings are located.
The Santa María church, in the area below the village, is the most outstanding structure in Moclinejo. It was built in the sixteenth century and modified in the seventeenth. Its interior is divided into two naves separated by semicircular arches resting on stone columns. The choir room has a distinctive modernist iron railing. The square tower is covered by a tile roof.

Manchón de las Minas is not precisely a monument but it is a curiosity. About two kilometres north of the village are the entrances to some mines that we are told were for silver but had to be closed because more water came out of them than the ground could drain, making it impossible to work them.
The village is surrounded and the landscape brightened by numerous farmhouses scattered about the territory. All have a raisin dryer and basically repeat the classic traditional architecture of this part of La Axarquía.

 

How to Get There:
If coming from the city of Málaga, take the Mediterranean Expressway towards Motril-Almería. Shortly before Rincón de la Victoria exit onto the MA-107 and take it to Benagalbón, and there take the MA-108 to Moclinejo. Once you have left the coast the route is short but very crooked.

Interesting Facts:
Surface Area: 14.75 square kilometres
Population: about 1,200
What the natives are called: Moclinejenses. Nickname: Conejos
Monuments: the Santa María church, Manchón de las Minas (mines)
Geographical Location: in the western part of the La Axarquía region, 17 kilometres from Málaga. The village is 450 metres above sea level. The municipality records an average rainfall of 580 litres per square metre and an average temperature of 17.5º C.
Tourist Information: Town Hall: Plaza de España, 7 (29738). Telephone: 952 400 586; Fax: 952 400 505