Although the history of San Pedro de Alcántara is quite recent (almost 150 years since the Marqués del Duero founded the colony), there are historical testimonies of a deeper past, such as Las Bóvedas, a Roman building of CIII, in ruin; the Palaeolithic-Christian Basilica of Vega del Mar, of the IV Century (monument of historical interest) or the Torre Vigia, from the XVI Century.

San Pedro Alcántara owes its origin to General Manuel Gutiérrez de la Concha e Irigoyen, first Marqués del Duero, who, in accordance with the Law governing the Colonisation of Land established in Spain in 1855, founded five years later the Agricultural Colony of San Pedro Alcántara.

This name, given to such an ambitious project, is homage rendered by the Marqués del Duero to his mother, Petra de Alcántara Irigoyen y de la Quintana, and to Saint Pedro Alcántara, a Saint from Extremadura devoutly worshipped by the family.

The construction of small reservoirs made possible the operation of an irrigation system which permitted the introduction of new forms of intensive cultivation in an area of approximately 10,000 Hectares, after the due ploughing up and draining.

At the same time, the latest technical innovations in agricultural machinery are imported from the United States and the UK.

The labourers to be employed should have agricultural experience and therefore the Marqués recruited colonists and daily labourers from the villages on the coast of Granada and Almeria, and in Valencia and Murcia. They were offered attractive and modern working conditions for those days; house, family allotment for their own use and a general store.

The project was culminated with the creation of a School for Agricultural Training (also known as the Foreman's School) or Model Farm, which would provide specialists and foremen to promote the development of the colony. A magnificent idea which was never fully carried out.

An ancient Roman road was the only means of communication by land, and therefore orders were given to build a network of quality roads, some still used today.

The second means of communication was the sea, via which the supply of seeds and other requirements for farming were carried out, together with the despatch of the sugar cane to Malaga.

The impossibility of keeping up with the high interest payments on the loans obtained oblige the Marqués and thereafter, his daughter, to sell the colony in 1874.

Relevant dates:

1860: The foundation of San Pedro Alcántara.
1866: The building of the Church.
1868: The building of the "Casa de Dependientes".
1871: The Sugar Refinery.
1874: The sale of the colony to Joaquin de la Gándara and Luis Manuel de la Cuadra, Marqués de Guadalmina.
1875: The foundation of the Company Colonia de San Pedro Alcántara.
1920 a 1951: Dividing into plots and putting up for sale of the colony.
1940: The rebuilding of the Church.
1942: Sale of the Cottage Hospital to the Agricultural Co-op of San Isidro.
1944: The disappearance of the San Pedro Alcántara Colony, absorbed by the National Sugar Company.
1945: The Marbella Town Hall purchases the Village of San Luís from the Sugar Company together with the ownership of the water.
1946: Public street lighting installed.
1950: Gardens in part of the Church square.
1952: The inauguration of the first Municipal Market in the street of that same name.
1953: Paving of Marqués del Duero Street.
1964: The building of the districts of Divina Pastora and Los Catalanes.
1984: Decree approving the Independent Administration of San Pedro Alcántara.