Coín

Shops and Markets

Coín has all the shops you could ever desire from the hypermarket Carrefour, supermarkets Mercadona, Lidl, Aldi, Dia maxi and many smaller markets and shops, butchers, fishmongers, pharmacies, book shops, china shops, clothes shops etc throughout the town.

They say that Panadería La Curruca makes the best cateto bread in Malaga, a traditional Artisan bakery that has been making bread for 180 years. You’ll just have to go into the centre of Coín and try some for yourself, why not pick up some sweet treats while you are there as well?

If you have a very sweet tooth then head to Pastelería y Bombonería Dulcinea, for pastries, delicious chocolates, cakes and mousses. A family business of artisans, for more than 25 years making their sweet treats with care and dedication.

On Sunday mornings there is a local natural and organic farmers market near La Trocha Shopping Centre which is very popular and offers a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables. There is also a small artisan produce and crafts market where you can find other products like cheese, honey, breads, cakes, jams/preserves and oils etc.

In the La Trocha car park, on most Sundays, there is a large flea market where you can find an eclectic array of second hand goods for sale.

There is a drive through Burger King on the roundabout next to Aldi and a second one in La Trocha Shopping Centre. There is Also a McDonalds on the way into town before you reach La Trocha.

As for vets in Coín, it’s very important to know our fur babies are well looked after and here in Coín you have a few to choose from:

• Clínica Veterinaria Ana Morales Loriguillo, Calle Cabrera, opposite Mercadona.
• Veterinary Center Fervet, Poligono Industrial Cantarranas, Calle Arquimedes.
• Clínica Veterinaria Géminis, Calle la Cruz, 2.
• Centro Veterinario Alfa Animal, Av. María Zambrano.

Ice Creams

History

With such fertile land, abundant water and mild weather, Coín has been very popular throughout time and it’s story dates back to prehistory. The oldest archaeological remains documented in the area come from the Copper Age and were found in the hills of Ardite (Cerro de Ardite), Carranque (Cerro Carranque) and the declared Asset of Cultural Interest - Llano de la Virgen. 

Within the municipality of Coín, several pieces from the Iron Age were discovered at El Algibe hill (Cerro del Aljibe) and in the surrounding areas, including vestiges from the Greek, Phoenician, Iberian and Roman eras.

An individual burial in an elongated pit was found at the Cerro de Las Calaveras site from the Visigothic period.

There was also a large cave church, from the 8th - 10th century, discovered on the Monda road, indicating a large Mozarabic community, Spanish Christians living under Muslim rule, who adopted Arabic language and culture while remaining unconverted to Islam.

In 929, Abderraman III, the first Caliph of Cordoba fortified Coín (Hish Dakwan was it’s Arabic name) to improve it’s defences against the muladí attacks which stemmed from the rebellion against the Christian convert to Islam, led by Christian leader Omar Ben Hafsun and his sons, against the Emirate of Cordoba.

In 1283 Abu Yusuf, the Meriní Sultan, conquered the strongholds of Hish Dakwan (Coín), Cártama and Suhayl (Fuengirola). Before Abu Yusuf returned to Africa he assigned his son, Abu Zayyan Mandil, in charge of the armies left in Estepona and Hish Dakwan. 
In 1286 Abu Yusuf signed the Marbella Treaty, creating peace between the Mirinids and the Nasrids, returning all possessions in Al-Andalus (Muslim-ruled area covering most of Spain, Portugal and part of southern France) to the Nasrid monarch, including Hish Dakwan.

Hish Dakwan then flourished and grew it’s population to 3,000 inhabitants by 1480. With such a good climate and an abundance of water, it’s fertile lands produced many orchards and varied crops.

In 1485 Hish Dakwan was seized by the Christians, in one of the fiercest battles the Nastrid Kingdom of Granada had seen. The defence was heroic and immense courage was shown on both sides. A scene from the battle was immortalised in the cathedral of Toledo’s choir stalls with the leader Hamet el Zegrí and the knight Pedro Ruiz de Alarcón.

The Catholic Monarchs tore down the fort, divided up the land and built their first Church, Santa María de la Encarnación, on the ruins of the Grand Mosque. The Moslems who converted to Christianity (moriscos) who remained after the conquest were eventually expelled, leaving the town impoverished and lacking in people with skills and abilities. 
Coín started to rebuild with 450 residents and was governed by the jurisdiction of Malaga between 1505 and 1623. The population then started to slowly but constantly increase.

The modern Age in Coín grew stronger in the 17th century. In 1632 it separated itself from Malaga, buying it’s jurisdiction from the King and finalised the payment agreed in 1696.

Coín built the only episcopal palace (the official residence of a bishop) outside the province and was the head of one of the areas that the Malaga Bishopric (a district under a bishop's control) was divided into. It’s jurisdiction extended to Alhaurín, Mijas, Monda, Guaro, Tolox, Alozaina, Yonquera, Álora, Pizarra, Churriana, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Casarabonela and Carratraca. This shows that Coíns' feeling towards religion was intense and passionate in the 16th century and can still be seen today with the religious art on display.

During the Enlightenment century, in 1765, King Carlos lll granted Coín with the privilege of having an annual fair, due to its relevance in the trade of the area, on 11- 14th August, a tradition that has been continued to this day.

Also during this period was the commencement of the first local historians. Handwritten news of the conquest by Fray Fernando Domínguez, a Trinitarian, was discovered in 1773 along with antiquities and other notable things from the noble town of Coín. 
In 1796, D. Antonio Agustín Ximénez de Guzmán wrote the History of the Villa de Coín. He also in 1852 beautifully transcribed the precious calligraphy of Don Fernando de Hermosa y Santiago, along with other documents of vital importance for historical research.

By the late 18th century the population of Coín was roughly 1,800 residents. There were around 700 orchards producing fruits such as; pomegranates, apricots, peaches, pears and quinces. Wheat, corn, barley, oil, hemp, flax, figs, Loja grape, raisins, honey and silk were produced from its fields. There were also 20 bread mills and 14 oil mills.

By the 19th century the population was just over 2,000 with over 8,200 souls, there were 1,500 houses, 50 streets, 3 squares, 3 schools, 11 public fountains and the episcopal palace.

Coín continued to grow and at the beginning of the 20th century the population was over 12,300, by the 1930’s it was around 14,000, by the 1940’s there was over 17,300, by the 1950’s it was around 20,000 and remained around this number until the 1980’s.

A railway line from Coín to Malaga took eight years to build and started running in 1913.

In 1930 King Alfonso XIII granted Coín the title of City and the treatment of its City Council of Excellence, by Royal Decree of January 12, for the advances made in education, public health, modernity and beautification.

Sightseeing

There are many historical sights to see in Coín.

Antiguo Convento de Santa María de la Encarnación - Concejalía de Cultura (Old Convent and Church Saint María of the Incarnation - department of culture)

This was the first parish in the town. The church is set over the space occupied by the old aljama mosque, converted into a Catholic temple in 1485 after the capture of Coín. In the 18th century it was given to the pious women who founded the convent-monastery and an orphan house for girls. Later they joined the order of the Poor Clares and remained in the building up until the 1980’s. It was then restored in the 1990’s. In 2008 the Junta de Andalucía classified this historical monument BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) and it houses the Antonio Reyna Manescau Center and other exhibition rooms.

Art in the old convent of Santa María de la Encarnación:

• El Centro Antonio Reyna Manescau de Coín (The Antonio Reyna Manescau Center of Coín). This exhibition is held in the old convent of Santa María de la Encarnación and is a place dedicated to the universal painter from Coine (1859 - 1937) which was opened on 29th November 2019. Accessed from the beautiful courtyard, the project was promoted by the García Agüera Foundation and developed jointly with the Department of Culture of the City Council of Coín with free entry to the public. The permanent exhibition “Íntimo y Universal” (Intimate and Universal) is entertaining and educational with a wide collection of the painter's original work, photographs, documentation, research and publications, bibliography, personal objects and other interesting content.
• Also in the old convent is “Un rancho en Andalucía” (A ranch in Andalusia), another exhibition that represents a typical Andalusian farmhouse from the summer of 1910 in Coín.
• “Looks of a century” is a temporary exhibition that is a prelude to the Antonio Reyna Manescau Center. Six works by artists who were Reyna Manescau's mentors or teachers in the 19th century such as José Denis Belgrano, Antonio Muñoz Degrain and Ricardo Verdugo Landi. A small sample of costumbrista paintings, figures and masterpieces.

San Juan Bautista Church

San Juan Bautista Church is in the middle of town with its main access via Calle Compás. Queen Isabel la Católica (through a Royal Decree of October 23, 1489) ordered the cession of the site of the old Muslim fortress for its construction, which began in 1505, they took advantage of a square tower of the castle, which today is the bell tower.

It’s influences are from the late Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Baroque styles and was declared BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) in 2010.

Torre De Los Trinitarios

Torre De Los Trinitarios, nestled at the foot of Calle La Cruz, there are only 3 towers with this exceptional triangular symbolism in Andalusia. Before the Civil War, the convent lost carvings of great historical value when it was looted and burned. After these events, the church was demolished due to the unfortunate state of the temple and the convent rooms were used as a school. Today only the triangular tower remains of this unique building.  

Iglesia De San Andrés (St. Andrew's Parish)

Iglesia De San Andrés (St. Andrew's Parish) located on the corner of Calle Dr. Palomo y Anaya and Calle Malara. The Hospital de la Caridad together with its attached chapel date back to the 16th century. The chapel then became a church centuries later, becoming Iglesia de San Andrés. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was established as a parish. The church is one of only four buildings in Andalusia with an L-shaped floor plan which was produced by adding a new arm perpendicular to the main nave of the chapel that already existed, which allowed the sick to be separated from the rest of the parishioners. It was a hospital until well into the 20th century and then the seat of the Judicial Party of Coín, the building was then closed. It is currently closed to the public as it is being restored.

La Ermita (The Hermitage)

La Ermita (The Hermitage) is only open to the public once a year for one month from May 1 until the celebration of the pilgrimage in honor of the Patron Saint of Coín, on the first weekend of June. Overlooking the Pereila River, the hermitage is surrounded by some of the most beautiful views in the Coineño countryside. Nuestra Señora De La Fuensanta dates from the 16th century, the current one was built in the 17th century, undergoing different reforms over time. Also on site is the sacristy, the place where the spring is located and the cave in which the image of the Virgin is said to have been found. You can visit the site all year (only access inside the building is limited) to enjoy the old mills powered by the Pereila river, the old bridge, the fountain, the paved road and the archaeological site of Llano de la Virgen which has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).

Plaza de la Alameda

-  Plaza de la Alameda is the main square in Coín and a popular open space for Coineños and Coineñas to meet, as it has been historically. It is home to the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) as well as the last remaining vestiges of nineteenth-century architecture. In this square you will find the figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as “the Santo de la Alameda” and the beautiful fountain, chiselled with marble from the Coín quarries and which represents bringing drinking water to Coín's public squares.

Parque San Agustín

Parque San Agustín, is a small park just at the entrance to the town centre. It has an obelisk in the center, in homage to those who died in the Spanish Civil War. In the 16th century, where the park is today, there was a hermitage dedicated to Saint Sebastian. Later the Convent of San Agustín was founded, the hermitage became the church of that convent. On the 9th October 1680, there was an earthquake that caused the Main Chapel of the Church to collapse. After the earthquake, the Chapel was rebuilt. In 1887 the Convent collapsed. The beautiful Park was built on the remains of the Convent and today it is adorned by gardens and a set of leafy and centenary trees. 

Cuevas Rupestres

Cuevas Rupestres, these caves date back to the 9th-10th centuries, making them the oldest existing monument in Coín, it is also the most important artistic-monumental structure. According to the architectural design, it is a set of three main naves and two accessory naves. This monumental complex is privately owned and only open to the general public for specific events.

Arco de La Atarjea

Arco de La Atarjea, the arch of the culvert (a tunnel carrying a stream or open drain under a road or railway) is the only vestige of the first hydroelectric plant in Coín. Founded by Mr. Segundo de la Calle Martínez, who inserted in 1897 a producer and distributor of electricity taking advantage of the Molino Alto waterfall. You can drive under the arch on Calle Fotógrafo Juan López Duerto.

Cerámica Las Vistillas y El Museo Etnográfico

Cerámica Las Vistillas y El Museo Etnográfico. Traditional Ceramics and Ethnographic Museum is a place of tourist-cultural interest and is located in a privileged enclave just off Calle Castillo. It is charmingly rustic with an exhibition of Coineña ceramics, which still makes pottery in the traditional way. In the museum, visitors will learn about the history of Coín and the Guadalhorce Valley region during the 20th century. You need an appointment to visit.