The peculiar orography of the province of Malaga, in which kilometers of coastline are mixed with mountainous enclaves that rise to 2,000 meters in altitude, gives rise to numerous products from Mother Nature. One of the clearest examples of food that reaches the consumer's palate with hardly any alterations is that of mineral water. In the province there are two large mineral water springs: one of them is located in the municipality of Casarabonela; the other, in the Sierra de Mijas. The water of Mijas reflects that magical duality that exists in Malaga where it is possible to obtain natural products at more than 1,000 meters above sea level just a few kilometers away from the Costa del Sol.

The spring

La Ermitica, located in the Sierra de Mijas, is the southernmost mineral water spring in Europe; it is the last natural legacy of the old continent. The water hides more than 180 meters deep and remains at temperatures below 17 degrees throughout the year. The municipality of Casarabonela, located in the Sierra de las Nieves, is home to another large mineral water spring. This has the privilege of being the oldest spring in the province and of collecting rainwater from some of the highest peaks in Malaga, such as Torrecilla Peak (1,919 meters).

The formation process

Mineral water is a product created by nature that hardly undergoes alterations until it reaches the consumer. The water from the springs of Malaga begins its formation process with rain. The water that falls from the clouds towards the highest areas of the province gradually filters through the ground to travel a long way underground until it accumulates in a spring. During this journey through the subsoil, and once the water is stagnant in the underground spring, the liquid element acquires and is enriched by the properties of the minerals it finds in its path.

• Benefits

Mineral water provides important benefits to humans, although it must be taken into account that each spring has different properties. Natural water with weak mineralization is beneficial because it has a diuretic effect and a low level of sodium, which is favorable for people with hypertension. It is also recommended for children. On the other hand, water with a high calcium index helps strengthen bone mass; water with a greater amount of sulfates is beneficial for the skin; and water with magnesium has a greater energy load than the rest.

• Treatment

Mineral water is one of the food products that undergoes the most controls. The objective is to guarantee that it remains pure and intact from the moment it leaves the spring until it reaches the consumer, bottled. Its origin is located in springs hidden at great depth where the liquid is kept at low temperatures throughout the year and isolated from outside pollution. Thanks to this insulation from the outside and the cold, the water is kept away from possible infections and organisms harmful to humans. Once bottled, it continues to retain its mineral properties intact.

• Varieties

Mineral water is imbued with the properties of the underground rocks that it finds in its path, hence, depending on its origin, it has one composition or another. There are many varieties of mineral water, ranging from very weak mineralization to waters with high levels of calcium, sodium, magnesium or fluoride. Water from the Sierra de Mijas, for example, has high levels of bicarbonates and calcium, while sodium levels are slightly lower.