The Costa del Sol is a place to have amazing experiences in contact with nature, courtesy of its nature parks. Green spaces can be a feast for your senses, especially if you consider yourself to be a hinterland traveller.
Sun and mild weather are always waiting for you in Costa del Sol, inviting you to be in contact with nature and have an unforgettable experience.
El Torcal in Antequera
Impressive rock formations stretching for 12km and almost 700 plant species is what you can find at El Torcal de Antequera Natural Area. It is divided into four main areas: Sierra Pelada, Torcal Bajo, Torcal Alto and Tajos y Laderas. If you do not have too much time to spend here, head for Torcal Alto, whose viewpoint Mirador de las Ventanillas affords breathtaking panoramic views.
El Torcal is an amazing karst topography – in fact, one of the most amazing in Europe. There are several hiking trails to get around. If you like active travel but are not an expert, choose the Green Trail, an accessible 60min route of low-to-moderate difficulty.
Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park
Sierra de las Nieves is a range covering 20,000m2 and seven municipalities in Málaga Province: Yunquera, Ronda, Parauta, Tolox, Istán, Monda and El Burgo. The sierras are surrounded by other attractive natural areas with huge environmental value that are quite popular with hinterland travellers. One of them is the gorge of Los Gaitanes.
Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park is also a Biosphere Reserve. The park is home to the highest peak in Málaga Province – Torrecilla, 1919m above sea level – and the deepest depression in Andalusia – GESM, 1100m deep.
This natural area also houses more than 1500 plant species, 19 of them native and exclusive, 120 bird species, especially birds of prey, and an iconic animal: the mountain goat.
Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park
As many as 13 municipalities in Andalusia are part of the 51,500ha covered by Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park. Five of them are in Málaga Province: Ronda, Benaoján, Montejaque, Jimera de Líbar and Cortes de la Frontera.
Like Sierra de las Nieves, this area for hinterland travel is a Biosphere Reserve. The Spanish fir is the reserve's icon – a reminder of the fir forests that covered Europe in the ice age. This makes Grazalema a favourite with fans of eco-tourism.
Los Alcornocales Nature Park
Los Alcornocales stretches in Málaga (Cortes de la Frontera, 12,289ha) and Cádiz. It boasts the largest cork oak area in Europe, as well as some of the finest sources of water in Málaga.
Water is ever-present in this nature park, inviting active travellers to engage in water sports or fishing. The park is perfect for a mushroom foray too. Heavy rainfall has turned this natural area into the habitat of a wide variety of plants and animals, including mountain goats, short-toed snake eagles, peregrine falcons and griffon vultures.
