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Acueducto de Los Arcos de Zapata o de Fuente del Rey (Fuente del Rey or Zapata Arches’ aqueduct) [Hydraulic Heritage]

Diputación de Málaga
Toma aérea acueducto Fuente del Rey

Acueducto de Los Arcos de Zapata o de Fuente del Rey (Fuente del Rey or Zapata Arches’ aqueduct) [Hydraulic Heritage]

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Heritage Value: Medium
• Landscape Value: High
• Condition: High state of repair
• Type of hydraulic structure: Canals and industry
• Stage of the Great Málaga Path: Stage 35: Alhaurín de la Torre - Málaga
• Where to find it: Málaga
• Period: 18th century
• Architect: Toribio Martínez de la Vega
• UTM Coordinates: 364050,8014, 4061367,538

HOW TO FIND IT

The Fuente del Rey (King's Spring) aqueduct stands between the eastern slope of the Sierra de Mijas and the right bank of the Guadalhorce River. Its 5 km run through Churriana and Alhaurín de la Torre. The Fuente del Rey can be accessed from the road between Churriana and Torremolinos, just past the old Guardia Civil barracks. Puente del Rey (King’s Bridge) and part of the pipeline are located in the Zapata rural district, right before the airport runways.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

- Water source: Fuente del Rey spring
- Length: 5.54 km - Average water flow: 0.01 m3/s
- Primary function: Water supply to Málaga, irrigation and motive power
- Current use: Not operating
- Main elements: Intake hut in Fuente del Rey, Puente del Rey, Acueducto de Zapata

CURRENT CONDITION

Only three arches remain from the bridge known as Puente del Rey. They can be seen in the Zapata district along with part of the pipe system. Despite being increasingly scarce, other vestiges of the pipeline still remain standing. Other related works have left the ruins of the Molino Alto and Molino Bajo mills, as well as several canal cleaning and water distribution sewers. The irrigation ditch of Churriana was still in operation a few years ago.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

These are well-preserved remains of what once was the Fuente del Rey aqueduct, which was built in the 18th century to carry water to the capital city of Málaga from a spring located in Churriana. However, numerous economic problems and insistent landowners against the project resulted in the bridge never being used.

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