La Herradura's first settlers have been dated to
prehistoric times. Several tombs with remains of
bronze weapons were found in El Pago de la
Mezquita in the 19th century. In 1950 another similar, but better documented, discovery in El Sapo was dated to the 15th century BCE. There are vestiges of habitation from
Roman times, in places such as in the country house de la Argentina, in the ravine of Las Tejas, and in the construction of the old road from Málaga to Almería. There are also the remains of a hermitage or rural mausoleum of
Byzantine design from the sixth century AD in the upper course of the river Jate. More information is available post-dating the
Umayyad conquest of Hispania, such as the existence of a
farmhouse called "Sät" or "Xat".
Abd al-Rahman I arrived in La Herradura in 755 from
Damascus, prior to the foundation of the Califato de Córdoba. The area was the scene of a battle in the
Muwallad revolt in the 9th century. The raisins exported from this [Al-Andalus] region were considered the best in the
Islamic world at this time. The
watchtower of Punta de la Mona, restored in the 18th century and now serving as the base for a
lighthouse, dates from the
Nasrid period. It was part of a chain of
watchtowers running along the coast that were rebuilt in the late 16th century to guard against
corsairs. Cerro Gordo has a similar 10.5-meter-high tower that was part of this warning system, using smoke signals during the day and fire at night. In 1764,
Charles III of Spain ordered the construction of nine fortresses along this coast and La Herradura castle was finished in 1768. This defensive system of forts and towers was reinforced before the
Peninsular War. French forces later took La Herradura castle before
guerilla soldiers under the Mayor of Otivar recaptured it. It served as the barracks of the
Carabineros and then the
Civil Guard before becoming a cultural centre, used for concerts and similar events. Originally on the seafront, the castle now stands well back from the shore because of sea-level changes. On 19 October 1562, 25 Spanish
galley warships from a fleet of 28 sank in La Herradura Bay in the
La Herradura naval disaster, with the loss of up to 5,000 of those aboard. A monument on La Herradura's seafront commemorates the tragedy. Erected in 1990, it is by Granada-based sculptor Miguel Moreno. In the 19th century, several families of Italian fishermen settled in La Herradura. During the 20th century the rapid growth in tourism experienced throughout Spain caused major changes in La Herradura. In modern times, there has been a call by a small group for separation from the municipality of
Almuñécar, without any success to date. == Geography ==