Leaned against the slope of the Manar Mountain range, which is the westernmost spur of Sierra Nevada, the villa of Padul is the first town belonging geographically to the Lecrín Valley when this one is accessed from Granada. Its privileged position in the head of the region and its proximity to the capital have conditioned its history as much as its urban development and its prosperous economy.
The place known as La Laguna is a place that cannot be ignored. This one is an important marsh that has a peculiar site where rests of prehistoric animals have appeared. Also, for the nature lovers, the Manar mount is a privileged corner to practice trekking, para-gliding or excursions in bicycle or horse.
The Lecrín Valley enjoys its own microclimate, with tempered and beneficial winds that give way to landscapes of calm beauty where there are prosperous Mediterranean cultivations, like orange and lemon trees.
As well as by important buildings, the patrimony of Padul is made up for the Fuente de los Cinco Caños, built in 1556, and the popular Calvario, with its great stone crossings dated in 1700.
Numerous tracks of carriages treads marked in the stone in the place of Los Molinos, next to the fountain of the Malnombre, have been found. There was a Roman route of communication towards Almuñécar in this place, reason why it is confirmed that this territory already existed as population centre in the Roman Empire. But other indications like the appearance of arrow ends, axes and other instruments show that were settlements since the Prehistoric period.
The name of Padul comes from the Latin word paludem, which means lagoon or marshy place. This is, probably, because there was a lagoon next to the town and it was dried in the XVIII century to transform its into cultivation ground. The Islamic people called it Al-Badul and they turned it into a very prosperous place, due to its cultivations as much as the silk factories and the oil and bread mills. It is said that here lived a son of Muza at the beginning of the VIII century.
It change from Boabdil’s hands to the ones of El Zagal, from him to Fernando the Catholic King and again to Boabdil. Until it was conquered definitively by the Marques of Villena and under the command of Perez de Aróstegui it exerted a heroic defence in front of the insurrectionists Moorish. In the XIX century, during the years of the first Republic, El Padul was declared independent Canton. Of agricultural activity traditionally, throughout the last years is acquiring special prominence in the construction sector with several sand quarries and brick, roofing tile and vault factories.
Gastronomy is of great cultural importance in Padul, and among the typical dishes are suckling kid with garlic, omelettes made with onions, campion (an edible plant), potato or ham, the local sausages and marinated lamb chops.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
