It seems unreal: the place in Málaga where water flows from 101 spouts on the mountainside

In a corner where the mountain seems to breathe through the rock, water emerges as if the mountain range itself had decided to open up in multiple living cracks. Among holm oaks, pines, and undergrowth, the constant sound of the flow breaks the silence of the interior of Málaga to reveal one of the most unique hydrological sites in the province: the Fuente de los Cien Caños, a spring that actually has 101 water outlets.

The Fuente de los Cien Caños is located in the area of Villanueva del Trabuco, in the heart of the province of Málaga. This natural enclave is attached to the limestone wall of the Sierra de San Jorge, within the mountain system of the Sierra de Camarolos, in a landscape dominated by Mediterranean vegetation.

The Fuente de los Cien Caños. / malaga.es

Water bursts forth intensely from the rock through 101 spouts, creating a continuous natural spectacle that persists throughout the year. This spring constitutes the main contribution to the Guadalhorce River in its initial stretch, becoming one of the key points of the hydrological system in the interior of the province.

The image of water emerging from the limestone wall makes this place a reference point of the Central Limestone Arch of Málaga, a geological formation where the relief and hydrology combine to shape landscapes of high ecological density and great environmental value.

Villanueva del Trabuco and the surroundings of the spring

The municipality of Villanueva del Trabuco, located a short distance from the spring, acts as the guardian of this natural enclave. Popularly known as "El Trabuco," the town retains in its identity historical elements even reflected in its coat of arms, where a blunderbuss, a firearm associated with times of conflicts and sieges in Andalusian history, is depicted.

Today, this past is integrated into a quiet and rural setting, where daily activity is marked by the presence of the natural landscape and the proximity of the Sierra de San Jorge. The combination of mountainous relief, cultivated fields, and Mediterranean vegetation defines the environment surrounding the Fuente de los Cien Caños.

The proximity to the source of the Guadalhorce River adds a relevant geographical component, as this river is the main fluvial axis of the province of Málaga, crossing territories that connect the interior with the coast.

The origin of the Guadalhorce and its relationship with the spring

Although the technical source of the Guadalhorce River is located at the Puerto de los Alazores, in the municipality of Loja (Granada), the Fuente de los Cien Caños represents the first visible manifestation of its flow in the territory of Málaga.