The Agua de Hierro Aqueduct in Nerja, on the Red List of Heritage due to its Deterioration

Hispania Nostra has included the Agua de Hierro aqueduct, also known as El Tablazo, on its Red List of Heritage due to the severe deterioration it suffers and the lack of legal protection.

The association Hispania Nostra has raised concerns about the progressive deterioration of the Agua de Hierro aqueduct in Nerja, a 19th-century hydraulic infrastructure that is now part of its Red List of Heritage. The entity reports that the structure, located in the Las Mercedes area between Nerja and Maro, shows signs of brick detachment and lacks specific legal protection to ensure its conservation.

A Unique Work from the Agricultural and Industrial Past

The aqueduct, also known as El Tablazo, was built in the late 19th century to carry water from the Agua de Hierro spring to agricultural operations and the old San Joaquín sugar factory. With a length of approximately one hundred metres and 25 semi-circular arches, it is one of the most unique hydraulic engineering works in the municipality.

According to Hispania Nostra, the monument suffers from severe deterioration due to the passage of time and lack of maintenance. The association warns that if action is not taken soon, the damage could be irreversible. Additionally, it points to urban pressure as an added threat to the historical environment of the aqueduct.

Seventeen Malagueño Properties on the Red List

With this addition, the Agua de Hierro aqueduct joins the 17 Malagueño properties already listed on Hispania Nostra's Red List, an inventory that includes Spanish heritage elements at risk due to abandonment or lack of maintenance. The association hopes that this inclusion will help about the need to preserve this testimony of Nerja's agricultural and industrial past.

Hispania Nostra calls for the of the aqueduct to be promoted before it is too late. For the residents of Nerja, this monument is a symbol of their history linked to irrigation and sugar cane, and its loss would mean a impoverishment of local heritage.

The next step, according to the association, is for the Nerja Town Hall and the Junta de Andalucía to take action. In the meantime, the Agua de Hierro aqueduct continues to withstand the passage of time, but with each passing day without intervention, its future becomes more uncertain.