Environment
The town of Padul, which gives its name to Hostal Rural El Padul, is located in the heart of the Lecrín Valley, a region with immense natural beauty, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
Padul is home to La Laguna, one of Spain’s most important wetlands, a haven for numerous bird species and a site of great ecological significance. Remarkably, mammoth remains have been discovered in the area, now displayed at the Science Park of Granada.
The name Padul dates back to Roman times, derived from the Latin palus-paludem, meaning swamp or lagoon. Archaeological discoveries include mammoth fossils (found in 1982), arrowheads, bracelets, and hunting tools, all of which bear witness to ancient human presence in the region.
The area is also rich in Roman history, with remains of stone-paved roads still visible today, such as the ancient route that once connected Sexi (modern-day Almuñécar) with Iliberi (Granada).
During the Islamic period, Padul was a key agricultural settlement in the fertile Lecrín Valley and played a vital role in supplying food to Granada’s southern region. The town’s mosque once stood on the site of the current Parish Church, with its minaret later converted into the church’s bell tower.
In 1491, Padul was conquered by Alonso de Cárdenas, Marqués de Villena, marking its transition to Christian rule.
