Located in the inside slope of the Sierra de Mijas (Mijas Mountains), in the place known as "Hoya de Málaga", between the Fahala river and the Blas Gonzalez stream, the Arabs named it Alhaurin, which some historian translate by "the valley", from the Arab root "Al-Haur", due to its situation upon the valley of the Fahala river, while others consider the name coming from the Arab word "Alhauerin" which means "Almighty God".
The remains found in the zone belong to the epoch of Probo and Diocleciano, so it is supposed that there was an important Roman settlement in the area. The archaeologist Berlanga uphold that this was the settlement of the ancient Iberian town of "ILURO", and so, Alhaurin derives from LAURO, place were the Roman Emperor Caesar defeated Cneo Pompeyo, the son of Pompeyo The Great.
In 1487, when the town was conquered by the Christian Monarchs, the name of the town was Laurín, and from then onward it was known as Alhaurín el Grande.
Alhaurín was exempt from domain and it was a royal village under the Malaga jurisdiction, they neighbours bought the freedom of the town and the title of Villa for four and a half million silver maravedis, but due to its very bad administration the king ordered it to submit themselves to the jurisdiction of Coin. This order was not accepted by the neighbours and there were many and serious disorders..
Its most important monuments are the parish church of Our Lady of Grace, patron saint of the town, built upon the rest of an Arab fortress, and the hermitage of Saint Anton..