A population centre dependent on Marbella town council which began life as a settlement built by the Marquis of Duero in 1860 to house colonists working in the sugar cane and cotton plantations and in the sugar mill, a building which is still standing today.

Today San Pedro de Alcantara is a first-class tourist resort, home to a number of luxury housing complexes, golf courses and excellent beaches, while still retaining features of its colonial past.