The Ingenuity of Saint Anthony the Abbot It was Nerja’s first sugar mill. Records show that it was operating at full capacity as early as 1595, when it was owned by Juan de Briones, and it remained in operation until the 19th century. This mill was bought by the Larios family in 1872.
The remains of this sugar factory are of special interest due to the decorative engravings found on one of its walls, which include aquatic and naval motifs. There are also remains of the mill that was attached to it, known as Tablones.
The San Antonio Abad sugar mill is situated in the interior of Nerja, next to the N-340. To reach the ruins of the sugar mill, you can go underneath a viaduct, the area beneath which is used as a car park.
The Maro Sugar Mill It was a pre-industrial complex where virtually the entire local population worked. To keep the factory running, a substantial investment had to be made each year in staff, firewood and supplies for a factory that, for a few months of the year, never ceased production at any time, day or night.
The San Antonio Abad watermill drew water from the River Chíllar and channelled it to the factory via the Sidro aqueduct.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The Maro sugar mill complex comprised:
– Water intake from the Maro stream
– Irrigation channel leading to the sugar mill, passing through the village of Maro
– Vertical hydraulic wheel
– A sugar mill that has lost all its machinery and part of the building
– The north wall has been preserved as a reflection of what the pre-industrial complex once was
The pre-industrial sugar mill at San Antonio Abad consisted of:
– Water intake from the Chíllar River
– Irrigation channels and the Sidro aqueduct
– Industrial building with a vertical water wheel
CURRENT STATUS
The Maro site lies practically in ruins, with only part of the complex’s northern wall and a few interior load-bearing arches remaining. The surrounding area has been suitably landscaped to incorporate the remains of this historic hydraulic structure.
All that remains of the San Antonio Abad complex are a few perimeter walls and part of its supply channel. The site is used as a municipal warehouse, and the surrounding area is in a state of serious disrepair.