Mazarron.Com - Tourist Information



	*Mazarron*

Mazarron

Located about 4Km from the coast, to the North West of Puerto de Mazarron you will find this old mining town and administrative centre of local government. In the Summer, passing down the dusty traffic ridden high street, you would be forgiven for thinking that the town has little to commend it, but behind the scenes the story is different.

Although much of the original town has disappeared in favour of modern concrete buildings, there are still many good examples of original Spanish architecture, some of which have been sympathetically restored. The town's history of mining is also fascinating and during the latter parts of the last century Mazarron was one of the most prosperous small towns in Spain; it is said that Mazarron still has more banks "per capita" than anywhere else in the country.

The building dates from 1891, when it's construction was completed after a lapse of 3 years due to the disappearance of the original architect with the drawings and the money. The council chamber on the first floor is listed as a national monument, and is open to the public when not in use for official functions. This image is from a painting by local artists Francisca Muñoz and Manuel Herrera (MUHER).

Mining here can be traced back to Roman times and there are many abandoned ancient mines in the surrounding countryside. More recently the activity was the backbone of the local economy from the early 1700s until the 1930s; in the early days Alum was mined (valued for it's use with textiles) but in the mid 1800s the emphasis was firmly on metals, mainly lead copper and iron, but also minor quantities of silver and others. In 1886 a railway was established between Mazarron and Puerto, principally to carry produce from the mines to ships in the Port, but was also made available to passengers in 1891 after improvements. The railway closed in September 1935.

The local population peaked at nearly 23,500 inhabitants in 1900; the present total is in the order of 15,000.

In 1893 the town was one of the first in Spain to have electricity, from the newly formed "Mazarron Electric Light Company Limited", constituted in London.

Mazarron's main industry is now horticultural production and many hectares of land are devoted to growing tomatoes for the insatiable Northern European markets. Other products are grown on a smaller scale, principally melons, green beans and cucumber. Production is mainly under the cover of enormous polythene greenhouses which increase the crop yield and frequency. Over 5000 people are transported daily from other areas to work in the Costa Calida's agricultural zone which stretches from La Azohia in the East to Aguilas in the West.

The thermal spring at El Saladillo, a few Km North of Mazarron, provides ample evidence of the volcanic nature of the area. The spring spurts a continuous stream of water at 50°C; unfortunately it is in a remote country area and it would difficult to put the spring to any particular use - the water just flows away to the nearby rambla. However, not too far away you can enjoy baths from similar springs, at Archena, Fortuna, Mula and other small towns near Murcia.