Aqueduct of the Eagle

The Aguila Aqueduct is a civil work built in 1880 (19th century). Its construction was carried out to supply the San Joaquín Sugar Factory. It is a water channel that has a high landscape interest. In fact, this aqueduct is one of the most photographed in the Andalusian community.

This construction is known among the locals of Nerja as El Puente del Águila . It is located in the ravine of the Coladilla de Cazadores belonging to the Cliffs of Maro . From the Barranco de la Coladilla you can perfectly see the structure of the aqueduct.

We are facing a public space worth visiting. Its access is free and is not governed by schedules. Access to the Aguila Aqueduct is really easy. The directions to follow on the road are as follows: Through the Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7), towards Almería, we must take exit 295 towards Las Cuevas de Nerja . You can also choose to take the national road towards Maro . In the surroundings of the Coladilla de Cazadores ravine you will find spaces enabled to park your vehicle.

From here we recommend access on foot. Through a pedestrian route that connects Nerja and Maro. A 45-minute walk from the Balcón de Europa will take you to the aqueduct. The distance traveled would be 4 kilometers. Travel an 8-kilometer route where you can enjoy both towns and the nature that surrounds them. It should be noted that the aqueduct is illuminated at night with purple-toned lights. If you like to walk with the night breeze, this structure is worth visiting.

The bridge is made up of four rows of arches located one above the other. It has a total of 38 arches built with bricks in yellow and reddish tones. Formerly it was decorated with a gallery of the blind. True to the Mudejar style. Specifically through horseshoe arches. Its name is due to a small monument that is on it. It is a pinnacle with a weather vane whose shape corresponds to a double-headed eagle.

The structure measures around 40 meters. The length of the bridge is 72 meters long. The water channel has a route of a kilometer and a half.

The function of the Aqueduct was to transport water to the mills that were part of the territory of the San Joaquín sugar factory. He drank water from the Maro river. The water route began at the Maro water spring, known as the Maro source, up to the entire plain of Maro and Nerja. As we can see, its previous function consisted of irrigation and supplying the sugar factory. On the other hand, at present its irrigation only supplies a few territories of the local community. To be more exact, it only supplies some crops in the area. 

The Puente del Águila became a public property in 2010. Since then it has been considered an architectural and patrimonial work of Nerja . In 2010 the restoration works began. The works were completed in 2012. It is still being properly preserved. In fact, it is still in operation. On the other hand, the San Joaquín factory is very dilapidated. Although if you are passionate about the ruins we also encourage you to visit the territory of the factory. In fact, it is still a symbol of Maro.