Located at the center of the Axarquia region, surrounded
by vineyards, olive trees, cereal fields and orchards. Like
almost all of the region’s villages, its layout is
Arabic in origin, consisting of steep, narrow alleys lined
with white houses, dominated by Saint Matthew’s Church
History
The village’s name, like so many others in the Axarquia region,
is of Arabic origin, though it has been known as Macharalhayate and, later,
Almachar de la Cruz. While the Moslem occupation, Almachar, El Borge,
Cutar and Moclinejo formed what were known as The Four Villages, which
enjoyed the protection of The Comares Castle. In the 19th century and
at the beginning of the 20th, Almachar was famous for its cloth, hand-made
in a number of textile mills. Today, most of the village’s inhabitants
work on the land, particularly in the cultivation of muscatel grapes and
raisins.
