Malaga — Parque Torcal — Antequera — El Chorro Gorge — Setenil de las Bodegas — Rhonda — Huskar
Distance: 196 km
Travel time without stops – 5 hours one way. With full stops — 10 hours. You can split the route into 2 days and spend the night in Setenil de las Bodegas
All roads along the way are free, if you follow the route on our map and avoid the toll highways AP-7 and AP-46.
When you can go. At any time of the year. Most of the route passes through the winding serpentines of the mountains and gorges of Andalusia, and it will be cooler there than on the coast. In winter in the mountains +5+15. In summer +15+25. At any time of the year, take windproof clothing and comfortable shoes.
Book a car
From Malaga, head north, avoiding the AP-46 toll road (in Spain, toll roads begin with the letters “AP”). Soon the road will begin to climb up and after 1.5 hours of travel it will lead you to the first place on the route worthy of a stop. This is Torcal National Park— an impressive collection of weathered rocks, stones and caves dating back to the Jurassic period. The landscapes of the park fascinate with the bizarre forms of the natural landscape. There are a lot of mountain goats in Torcala, which feel like real masters here. There is a tourist center at the entrance with all the necessary information.
There are several walking routes throughout the park, the easiest of which — green. It is 1.5 km and 30-40 minutes walk to beautiful views. More detailed information about the routes is available on the official website of the park. Admission is free, the park is open from 10:00 to 17:00 (until 19:00 from April to October).
20 km from Torcal is the ancient city of Antequera. In addition to beautiful views of the Arabian Alcazaba fortress, towering above the city, and many old buildings, there are several prehistoric dolmens: Menga, Viera and El Romeral . These are structures dating back to 4-5 thousand years BC. e., the same age as Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, monuments of ancient civilization that you can enter. The dolmens have their own tourist center and convenient parking. The entrance is free. Opening hours and practical information can be found here.
Antequera is also worth a quick snack: the city is famous for its cuisine. Be sure to try porra antequerana (Antequer style gazpacho),
and pio antequerano (cold appetizer of oranges, cod, onions and boiled eggs). The mollete antequerano bun is famous throughout Spain. These dishes can be found in most cafes in the city.
After Antequera, take the A-343 road to the next significant location — El Chorro Gorges. The journey will take no more than an hour and will invariably delight you with beautiful views of mountainous Andalusia. Having reached El Chorro, leave your car in the parking lot (GPS coordinates: 36.911958, -4.764022) and follow the path with signs that will lead you to the gorge. The entire path is about 2 km and ends with a beautiful viewpoint and The Royal Trail (El Caminito del Rey). Royal Path — a structure consisting of concrete and spikes and railroad tracks driven into the rock. It connects the Chorro and Gaitanejo waterfalls and was actively used by workers to build a hydroelectric dam at the beginning of the 20th century. Now Royal attracts extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world.
Entrance to El Chorro is paid. No more than 400 people can be here at the same time. Opening hours: from 10:00 to 17:00 (from November to the end of March & #8212; until 14:00). Tickets must be purchased in advance on the website for 10 euros. You can also sign up for the Royal Trail there.
The wonders of Andalusia do not end there for you. After another hour of following our route, you will find yourself in the amazing Setenil de las Bodegas — a city with cliffs hanging over it. The houses here are cut into basalt rocks and are a continuation of natural caves.
Just take a leisurely walk around the amazing city, every now and then looking up to see the rock hanging above you, and try tapas in one of the local restaurants, the internal walls and roof of which also serve as a rock.
Just an hour’s drive from the city over which the cliff hangs, and you are in the city that floats over the abyss! This is Rhonda, which is located on two high plateaus connected by a beautiful bridge. The whole city — literally one observation deck with magnificent panoramas of the gorge El Tajo. Be sure to walk along the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) and enjoy the views. Additionally, Rhonda — it is the birthplace of bullfighting and a city where Celts, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs once lived. Each of the peoples left their imprint on the culture of the city.
Rhonda — great place to stay overnight. There are many hotels here (choose hotels with parking, the price of city parking & #8212; from 25 euros per day, or from 1.5 euros per hour).
If you decide to continue your journey or end it in Malaga (1.5 hours journey),
in Marbella (1 hour) or in Gibraltar (2 hours),
It’s worth driving through the village of Huscar. This unremarkable village signed a contract with Sony Pictures in 2011, after which the entire town was painted blue (including the ancient church and municipal buildings) to promote the cartoon The Smurfs. The contract has already expired, but local residents are in no hurry to repaint their houses: this way the city attracts many more tourists.
