Natural phenomenon: watch as Malaga province river 'bursts' and flows into drought-stricken reservoir

For the second time in just under a year, water from the source of the Guaro river in Periana on the eastern side of Malaga province, started to flow into La Viñuela reservoir on Saturday night thanks to the abundant rainfall the Axarquía has seen in recent days.

Known as the bursting of the 'bocamina' it is one of the most striking images during periods of heavy rain in the Periana area and is hotly anticipated by locals who go to watch the natural phenomenon.

As the people of Periana say, the Guaro has ‘come out’ or the river has ‘burst’. It is just under a year since it last happened, in April 2024, after the abundant rains during Easter week.

Periana resident Juan Miguel Ortigosa has explained in the past that the natural phenomenon occurs because, "geologically, the Llano de Zafarraya is of a karstic nature" (a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, poljes and other features) which can absorb between 40 and 80 metres "over a subsoil of fractured limestone that forms the deep aquifer". Ortigosa has explained before that when it rains, the water saturates the aquifers and fills the water table to the point that it is no longer able to absorb more and the water must find another route.

Last year the late Rafael Torrubia, who was mayor of Periana until his death in June 2024, explained via social media that the water from the Llano de Zafarraya flows into two basins: from east to west, the northern part or La Madre stream, which in turn flow into the Guaro river and from there into La Viñuela reservoir.

The heavy rainfall recorded in the province and in particularly the drought-stricken Axarquía area since the end of February continues to offer historic and hopeful images, bringing the area out of severe drought and giving a massive boost to the economy in general, from tourism to agriculture.

La Viñuela reservoir, which supplies 14 municipalities in the area, has already increased by more than twenty cubic hectometres in recent days. This morning, Monday 17 March, according to the Junta de Andalucía's Hidrosur website which monitors all of the region's reservoirs, it was at 36.31 per cent of its full capacity, with 59.68 million cubic metres stored, compared to the 16.02 it had just a year ago. In terms of volume it is currently the second fullest reservoir in Malaga province after the Conde de Guadalhorce, but it is important to note that La Viñuela is also the biggest reservoir in the province.

"Thanks to the blessing of the mouth of the Guaro, this summer our fields will bloom! Every drop of this sacred water is a gift from the earth, nourishing life and awakening hope," Periana town hall said on social media. The town hall gave "special thanks to Enrique Ropero for the images that capture the magic of this spring".