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It is famous for its waters, the fruit of its six springs with medicinal properties that cross the Lanjarón fault , halfway between Sierra Nevada and La Alpujarra. Right there, in that corner of Granada more than privileged, the homonymous town is located. The same that the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized as one of the places with the longest-lived inhabitants on the planet.

Now, Lanjarón wants to achieve another milestone: to become the first pilot town chosen to reactivate rural tourism in Spain so badly hit by the coronavirus crisis. It is one of the main efforts of its mayor, Eric Escobedo, who after contacting the businessmen and main hoteliers of the town has set to work to develop a plan that relaunches the tourist activity of the place and that can be applied in the rural setting across the country.

Tourism as a way of life

Not surprisingly, tourism feeds 50% of the town (3,800 inhabitants) directly and more than 30%, indirectly, according to data managed by the City Council. The quality of the waters with which we start are largely to blame for these figures, attracting an audience interested in wellness and health tourism. And it is that Lanjarón is not only one of the longest-lived towns in the world, but also the one with the highest life expectancy in Spain . One in four residents is over 75 years old and many of them exceed 100.

The white facades that characterize the people of Granada.

The famous waters influence to a great extent, but also that pure air that is breathed with full hands through the area, as well as its peculiar microclimate, the leisurely lifestyle and the Mediterranean diet that prevails in the area. Not surprisingly, Lanjarón, located 45 kilometers from Granada , has been a tourist destination since 1774, when the mineral-medicinal properties of the springs that the town has were discovered, with Arab and Jewish roots.

Legend has it that it was an evicted patient who drank from these waters that year and was healed. The word of mouth began to run through this town village of La Alpujarra in and out of Granada to the point of start attracting middle travelers looking for the elixir of eternal youth. Over time, Virginia Wolf, Bertrand Rusell, Manuel de Falla or Federico García Lorca came to the place to stay at their Hotel Balneario, opened in 1928 with hype and cymbal in a Neomúdejar style and restored in 2012.

Duet treatment at the Hotel Spa in Lanjarón.

Located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, its managers head the group of hotel businessmen with whom the mayor has contacted to develop the tourist pilot project. With more than 200 years of history, the Lanjarón natural mineral water brand , which belongs to the Danone group and which increased its sales by 10% last year, is also one of the companies interested in carrying out this plan.

Covid Free Certificate

Even so, the City Council puts all its hopes in phase 3, when free movements between provinces are allowed , thus promoting the long-awaited arrival of tourists. He is also clear that it is necessary to rethink the summer and be aware that foreigners will not be the majority, so he plans to focus on attracting national tourism According to the mayor, the fact of being one of the municipalities in the region that has least affected the coronavirus "is very positive".

For this reason, it is already working on the elaboration of a security protocol that sets the guidelines for protection and hygiene, while it will fight to obtain a Covid Free certificate, issued by the Ministry of Health. The mayor's objective is to rely on the measures proposed by the Board to encourage the promotion of the Andalusia brand, among others.

Lanjarón Castle on the outskirts of town.

For its part, the Department of Tourism and Culture will promote the installation of both physical and virtual tourist offices to let tourists know everything the town has to offer, from medicinal treatments to the prolific nature of the area or the ruins of the Lanjarón Castle , a medieval fortress known as Castillo de los Moros and located about 400 meters from the town center.

Another initiative is the launch of an urban bus , as explained by the Councilor for Tourism, Toñi Romero, which will tour the main tourist establishments in Lanjarón. In addition, the City Council has decided to cancel the municipal competition rates (water, occupation of public roads, waste and sewerage) and has requested authorization for the tax credit such as the IBI and the IVTM, according to Efe.

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