Algatocín

Algatocín
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Municipal location in the Province of Málaga
Algatocín Location in Spain
Coordinates: 36°34′22″N 5°16′32″W
Sovereign state	Spain
Autonomous community	Andalusia
Province	Málaga
Comarca	Serranía de Ronda
Government
• Mayor	Benito Carrillo Martínez
Area
• Total	20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation	725 m (2,379 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	778
• Density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Website	Official website

Algatocín is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 143 kilometres (89 mi) from Málaga and 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Ronda. It is located in the west of the province in the Valle del Genal, being one of the townsⁿ that make up the comarca of the Serrania de Ronda. It is situated at an altitude of 725 metres (2,379 ft). The town has a population of approximately 900 residents, over a surface area of 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi), for a population density of 47 inhabitants per square kilometre (120/sq mi).

Geography

Location

Algatocín lies in the middle of the Valle del Bajo Genal. It extends from the mountains to the river banks of the Genal, and is full of hills and vegetation.

Flora and fauna

The municipality shares similar characteristics in terms of flora and fauna with the rest of the Valle del Genal. Highlighting some of them are:

Flora

• Algerian oak (Quercus canariensis)
• Cork oak (Quercus suber)
• Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
• Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
• Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis)
• Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus)
• Fern (Davallia canariensis)
• Gorse
• Heather

Mammals

• Wild boar (Sus scrofa)
• Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
• European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
• Common genet (Genetta genetta)
• Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)

Birds

• Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
• Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
• Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
• Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
• European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
• Common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

History

Antiquity and the Middle Ages

The earliest evidence of human settlement in the lands of the present municipality of Algatocín go back to the Bronze Age as pottery was found in Cerro Gordo. In this same place, around 1,000 BC, the remains of an Iberian oppidum or defensive enclosure have been found. Later, during Roman rule, and in Cerro Gordo as well, seemed to emerge a major city called Vesci and a Roman road nearby.