Size: 9,30 Km²
Population: 625
Residents known as: Totalaneños
Monuments: Church of Santa Ana, Tower of Salazar, Dolmen of the Cerro de la Corona.
Geographical situation: In the Mountains of Malaga, 25 kilometres from Malaga City, at 291 metres above sea level.
Tourist information: Town Hall, C/ Pasionaria, 8. 29197.
Phone: 952 400 215 Fax: 952 400 254
Totalán is in the heart of the Malaga Mountains, its western end bordering with Moclinejo and Rincón de la Victoria. The town centre is situated on a small hill beneath the Cerro de las Herrerías, between two small streams that flow down to the meeting of two other bigger streams, the Totalán and the Olías.
According to Mateo Gallego, the name of the town derives from the Arabic word for cake or tart ("torta" in Spanish), this theory based on documents that mention different houses named Tortela, Tortila and Tortalán, because of the typical Andalusian tarts that were made there. Totalán was left with the name but not the tarts in question. The history of the place runs more or less parallel to that of other towns in the area. The first documentary evidence we have of early settlements here was to the existence of the Iberians, but there is a long gap between their time and the re-conquest, when the town was a farm settlement. The Salazar tower is in the southern part of the municipality, on a hill that overlooks the sea. This was a Moorish construction, its purpose to defend the interior settlements from the coastal pirates, and it was only one of a series of defence towers along the entire coastline at the time. In 1492, when the conquest of Malaga was being planned by the Christians, the Torre Totalán is mentioned. At that time there were many mills along the river banks, and mention is also made of an "Aceyte" mill of stone in the area. The area was struck by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, destroying most of its vineyards, and the people of the town subsequently suffered economic difficulties. Many moved to El Palo, although the peak of emigration was after 1940, when the population was 1,377. Totalán has continued to suffer de-population since the time of the Civil War, and its population continues to live on the cultivation of almonds and olives.
Places to be visited
The Parish Church
The parish church of Santa Ana is the most important building in the town, and its oldest. It is small in size, with two naves and semicircular arches along the sides. These are supported by two Tuscan columns in red marble, whose origin is somewhat mysterious. The tower is Mudejar in style. The church was built between 1505 and 1510, although the present structure dates from the 17th century. A Moorish arch joins the building with some houses alongside, creating a narrow passageway that is reminiscent of a Moorish past.
Torre de Salazar
The Tower of Salazar is a defensive structure that forms part of the defensive line of the coast, along with the Tower of Totalán.
Dolmen of the Cerro de la Corona
Situated about 600 metres from the town centre we find the funeral site of the Cerro de la Corona, dating from the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. Studies carried out on it over recent years reveal the remains of human skeletons and ceramic pieces there, being the last resting place of at least ten people aged from three to forty five years.
Where to eat
Mesón Los Naranjos. Specialising in typical dishes of the area. Avenida Andalucía.Totalán.Tel: 952 400 286.
Bar Casa Pepín. Specialising in meats and varied tapas. Avenida Andalucía. Totalán. Tel: 952 400 237.
Bar El Arroyuelo. Specialising in varied tapas and wines of the region. C/ Arroyuelo. Totalán.
Bar Arriba y Abajo. Varied tapas. Plaza Antonio Molina. Totalán.
FIESTAS
The Totalán Cultural Week takes place in October, a festival in which there are a number of organised cultural, recreational and religious activities. There are also games like Treasure Hunting, cooking competitions and conferences during the Cultural Week.
GASTRONOMY, FLORA AND FAUNA
The gastronomy of Totalán is similar to that of other towns in this mountain region, with gazpacho and wine the food products most associated with the town. The craftspeople of the area specialise in wicker and cane work. The landscape is typical low Mediterranean, with oak and palm trees, and the wild boar is the most common animal in the mountains and woods.
SINGERS: ANTONIO MOLINA
The famous Flamenco singer Antonio Molina spent a large part of his childhood in Totalán, where his parents were born, and in our own day, the award-winning singer Enrique Castillo, also hailing from the town, has become one of the most popular entertainers in the province. |
Malaga Towns 
