Motril

Motril, city, Granada provincia (province), in Andalusia comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), southern Spain. It lies south of Granada city and just north of El Verdadero, its port on the Mediterranean Sea. Settled since Roman times, Motril flourished under the Moors and was united to Christian Spain in 1489. Motril’s chief industry traditionally was the processing of sugar from locally grown cane and beets, but tourism and fishing have become the main economic activities. A 17th-century sugar refinery, La Casa de la Palma (“The House of the Palm”), was transformed into a cultural centre, and nearby a sugarcane museum was also converted from a former sugar mill. Other notable attractions include the 16th-century Encarnación Church, which was erected on a mosque, and the 17th-century Virgen de la Cabeza sanctuary, built upon remains of a Naṣrid palace. Pop. (2008 est.) 49,019.