Ojén (population approximately 3,000) is a town and municipality that sits in the mountains behind
Marbella
Marbella ( , , ) is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the r ...
in the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
of
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
in southern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Nearby cities include
Mijas
Mijas ( ; ) is a municipality in the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Located on the southeastern coast of Spain, Mijas belongs to the region of Costa del Sol Occidental. Its center is a typical Andalusian white ...
to the east,
Marbella
Marbella ( , , ) is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the r ...
to the south,
Istán
Istán is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga (province), Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain with an estimated population in 2005 of 1400 people. It lies beneath the Sierra Blanca (Andalusia), Sierra Blanca in the valley of the ...
to the west, and
Monda
Monda is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is located near Sierra Blanca and Sierra de las Nieves in the comarca of Sierra de las Nieves. The municipality is ...
and
Coín
Coín () is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and about 30 km north of Marbella. The town has an official population of 22,000 inhabitants.
Foreigners now mak ...
to the north.
Description
Its name is oddly derived from an Arabic word, hoxán, meaning "rough" or "bitter" place, thus it is curious that the Moors should establish a settlement in a place they presumably did not care for. In common with other inland villages such as
Istán
Istán is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga (province), Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain with an estimated population in 2005 of 1400 people. It lies beneath the Sierra Blanca (Andalusia), Sierra Blanca in the valley of the ...
, Ojén was spared the Christians' embargo on the
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
living too close to the sea after the
Reconquest.
The town is situated beside the Almadán stream above the valley of the River Real at an altitude of approximately 200 metres, hemmed in by the
Sierra Blanca and the
Sierra Alpujata
The Sierra Alpujata is a mountain range in southern Spain, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental, in Andalusia. It is situated between the Sierra Blanca and the Sierra de Mijas. geography and geology
The ...
. These may provide a clue to the Moors' determination to stay in spite of their apparent antipathy, for both ranges of mountains have long been known as rich sources of
talc
Talc, or talcum, is a Clay minerals, clay mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thi ...
,
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
,
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
and
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
. This mineral wealth put the area in the forefront of the Spanish industrial revolution of the 19th century.
Close by, in the
Serranía de Ronda
The Serranía de Ronda is a comarca in the western part of the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. As is currently (as of 2009) the norm in Andalusia, it has no formal status. The 2007 Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, unlike its 1981 predecess ...
, is the
Refugio de Juanar
Refugio ("Refuge") may refer to:
Places:
*Refugio County, Texas
*Refugio, Texas, a town in Refugio County
* Refugio State Beach, near Santa Barbara, California
*Refugio Canyon, a region near Santa Barbara, California
*Refugio Creek, a river runnin ...
. Originally the private hunting lodge of the wealthy
Larios Larios is a surname with origins in Spain. Notable people with the surname include:
* Angélica Larios (born 1981), Mexican sabre fencer
*Bobby Larios (born 1970), Mexican actor
* Carlos de Larios, American sound engineer
* César Larios (born 1988 ...
family, and a favoured retreat of
King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...
, this is now a hotel popular with tourists and hunters. The Serranía is still very much a hunting reserve where
ibex
An ibex (plural ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa. ...
,
wildcats
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
and
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
s abound. It is also a favourite with ramblers and hikers who come for the mountain air and the panoramic views of Marbella and the coast 1000 metres below.
Ojen liqueur
Ojén is famous for the production of ''
Aguardiente de Ojén'' (
es), or simply "ojen" ("OH-hen") as it is known in English, an
anise liqueur
Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless, and because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits (e.g. absinthe). The most traditional style of aniset ...
that once played a major part in the town's economy. This liqueur, nowadays locally produced by the distillery company Dominique Mertens Impex. S.L., gained widespread fame abroad and is very popular in the city of
, especially during the
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...
festivities.
''New Orleans Nostalgia'', "Banana Republics and ''Ojen'' Cocktails", Ned Hémard, 2007
/ref>
See also
* La Mairena
La Mairena is a hill top residential resort on the Costa del Sol, just 5 km (3 mi) from the coastal ruralisation of Elviria, on the eastern outskirts of Marbella, Spain. At 400 m (1300 ft) above sea level, the village has views ...
is a green enclave, part of the village of Ojén
References
External links
A Brief History of Ojen
Discussion of the Ojen liqueur and its history and popularity in New Orleans, Louisiana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ojen
Municipalities in the Province of Málaga