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Aceituno lies in the foothills of the Sierra Tejada at an altitude of 645 metres. Its municipal district contains the highest mountain of this Sierra, La Maroma (2,080 metres), as well as two other great natural splendours, the Cave of La Fajara and the Rahiges (or Rafjies) Nature Reserve, situated bet­ween Canillas de Aceituno and Sedella. The village is 51 kilometres from Malaga and 1 8 from Velez-Malaga, and has a population of some 2,800. The steeply sloping land around Canillas nevertheless supports the cultivation of olives, almonds and grapes. The village was founded by the Moors, from the time of whose occupation are conserved a water tank and a tower, known as that of the Moorish Queen, and standing close to the town hall. Built in Mudejar style, its paired arches are similar to those of the tower in Sedella. The Gothic-Mudejar Church of Nuestra Senora del Rosario stands at the top of the village. Built in the 16th century, it contains paintings, sculptures and ob­jects made from precious metals of great artistic value. As is the case with the other villages of this area, the Moorish uprisings of 1569 were an important moment in the history of Canillas de Aceituno.

After a quiet start, a mutiny broke out in which a Christian innkeeper from Alcaucfn was murdered. Christian retaliation, led by a contingent sent from Velez-Malaga, caused the Morisco rebels, under Andres el Xorairan, to carry out attacks throughout the corn-area, including its capital. For this reason the Moorish leader became known as the "Bandit of Canillas".

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