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Alaró
Municipality and town
Alaró, en Baleares (España).jpg
Coat of arms of Alaró
Coat of arms
Municipal location
Municipal location
Alaró is located in Majorca
Alaró
Alaró
Location in Majorca
Alaró is located in Balearic Islands
Alaró
Alaró
Location in Balearic Islands
Alaró is located in Spain
Alaró
Alaró
Location in Spain
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Balearic Islands
Province Balearic Islands
Island Majorca
Comarca Raiguer
Judicial district Inca
Area
 • Total 45.72 km2 (17.65 sq mi)
Elevation
252 m (827 ft)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total 5,494
 • Density 120.166/km2 (311.23/sq mi)
Demonyms Alaroner, alaronera
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
07340

Alaró (Catalan pronunciation: [ələˈɾo]) is a small town and municipality in Spain. It is located in the Raiguer district on Majorca. Majorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

History of Alaró

Alaró's story began a long time ago. Its origins go back to the time when Islamic people lived there. We know more about its history starting in the 1200s. This was during the time when Christians were taking back control of Majorca.

The Castle of Alaró

The Castillo de Alaro (Alaró Castle) was very important then. Christian people built it to protect themselves. It helped them to stop attacks from pirates.

Early Electricity

Alaró was special because it was the first town on the island to have electric lights. This happened on August 15, 1901. Imagine, electricity in homes over 120 years ago! Today, Alaró gets its electricity like the rest of Majorca. But the old factory tower is still important. It was marked as a monument to show its cultural value.

Geography of Alaró

Alaro
A view of Alaró town.

Alaró is surrounded by several other towns. These include Buñola, Escorca, Lloseta, Mancor de la Vall, Binissalem, Consell, and Santa María del Camí.

Special Buildings in Alaró

Alaró has many buildings that are protected. They are kept safe because they are very old or have special features. These buildings are important parts of the town's history and culture.

Country Estates and Scenery

The most famous view of Alaró is its two tall peaks. These are called Castell and s'Alcadena. They have inspired many old stories about kings and witches. You can see this amazing view when you arrive from Consell.

Exploring the Countryside

There are other ways to get to Alaró too. You can take smaller roads from Santa Maria or Lloseta. These roads offer different kinds of beautiful scenery. It might not be as dramatic, but it is still very pretty.

Old Country Homes

Along these roads, you will see many old country estates. These large homes show how important farming used to be. This was before tourism became popular. Some of these estates include Son Antelm and Son Fiol. You can find them on the Santa Maria road. Sa Teulera is on the Coanegegre-Alaro road. Son Penyaflor and Son Curt are on the way to the castle. Son Palou was a very important family in the area. Their country estate was also called Son Palou. Other estates like Son Forteza, Son Guitart, and Son Grau are near Lloseta.

Economy of Alaró

For many years, making shoes was a very big business in Alaró. There were once about 30 shoe factories in the town. More than 2,000 people worked in this industry.

Changes in Industry

Today, the shoe industry is much smaller. Only one main company still makes shoes there. Alaró also used to have important mines. These mines dug up lignite, which is a type of coal. This coal was used to make electricity. The mines are now closed.

Modern Alaró

Now, Alaró is mostly a "commuter town." This means that most people who live there travel to work somewhere else. Many residents work in Palma de Mallorca. Palma is the capital city of the island.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alaró para niños

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