Formed by the union of the old city councils of Pines del Valle and Ízbor, being the capital the first one, the town of El Pinar extends by both slopes of the Lecrín valley. It includes in its territorial district the historical bridge of Tablate and the castle of Venta de la Cebada.
Located in the shade of the Chinchirina mount, in whose top the hermitage of Santo Cristo del Zapato stands out, the town of El Pinar is divided in two differentiated cores: the High Neighbourhood, where the City council is located, and the Low Neighbourhood, in which the parish is located. It is necessary to add to them the quarter of the Eras, which is the one that enjoys better views over the Béznar reservoir and the rest the region.
El Pinar, in addition to its extraordinary agricultural and landscaping wealth, to its abundance in fountains and water births, has one of the most spectacular natural places of the region. It is the narrow bridge, at the 37th kilometre of the old road to the Coast, which saves the deep ravine of Tablate constituting the main gate to the Alpujarra.
But if spectacular is the depth and narrowness of the Tablate Ravine, the image of the small village of Ízbor at the other side of the road is still more. In the middle of the white houses of this town, the silhouette of the church of the Purisima Concepcion stands out. Not far from the town, the Acebuches quarter, is also a place worth to be visited.
Although certain indications that make think about a settlement in El Pinar long before the Muslim occupation have been found, it was at this time when it reached certain relevance. The name of another of its towns, Ízbor, is also of Arab origin.
Its location in the middle of the Lecrín Valley, in the road towards the Coast, and the quality of its agricultural products allowed El Pinar to occupy a pre-eminent place when talking about Granada’s suppliers. But its prominence was not reduced only to this aspect, since due to its location it played a very important role in the rise of the Moorish in the XVI century. Later it would suffer the consequences of the Reconquista, which meant its almost total depopulation when the conflict ended with the expulsion of the insurrectionists. At the moment, in the style of the andalusí administration, it is formed by two urban cores as if it was a taha: Pinos del Valle and Ízbor.
There are big cultivation fields of almond trees in this district, being used in many stews, pots and desserts. The beans omelette, elaborated with beans, eggs, chives and olive oil, is one of the most characteristic dishes of El Pinar.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
