Fancy going to Ardales but don’t know what you’re going to find? Well, keep reading this blog because here you will find the 5 things you can see in the Sierra de Ardales.
Ardales is a municipality in the province of Malaga and is located between three regions of Malaga: Antequera, Ronda and the Guadalhorce Valley. It is a transitional area, so its landscape and history are enriched with some of the characteristics and qualities that predominate in those territories. In fact, if you are in Malaga do not hesitate to enjoy and experience our Free Tour Malaga, with the best professional guides and where you will learn a lot.
This municipality has approximately 2500 inhabitants and has the characteristic charm of the white villages of inland Andalusia, with whitewashed houses set on steep slopes. In addition, of this fantastic place we have to highlight its important natural resources, the most characteristic being the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, which we will talk about later.
Below, you can discover the 5 most interesting things to see in the Sierra de los Ardales.
¿Te apetece ir a Ardales pero no sabes lo que te vas a encontrar? Pues sigue leyendo este blog que aquí encontrarás las 5 cosas que puedes ver en la Sierra de Ardales.
En este post podrás leer:
Cave of Ardales
If you like visiting caves you will love this place. What’s more, even for people who don’t like caves, we encourage everyone to go, as it’s a beautiful place and well worth a visit.
The Cueva de Ardales (also known as La Cueva de Trinidad Grund) was discovered in 1821 thanks to an earthquake that left the current entrance door free. This cave is divided into five parts: Sala del Saco (Sac Room), Sala de las Estrellas (Star Room), Galerías de los Laberintos (Labyrinth Galleries), Calvario (Calvary) and Galerías Altas (High Galleries).
The cave preserves more than 50 figures and other symbols belonging to the Upper Palaeolithic, most of them found in the Calvary Gallery. They are figures of animals, deer, horses, goats and a fish, most of them engraved with flint awls or burins. There are also remains from the Epipalaeolithic period (8,000 BC) and the Middle-Final Neolithic period (4,000 BC) and they are located in the Sala del Saco and the Sala de las Estrellas. Remains of Chalcolithic burials are preserved in the Upper Galleries. All of this is approximately 20,000 years old.
The interior of the cave is more than 1.5 km long and at present 1,010 pictorial representations have been discovered in 252 different areas of the cave. As we have said before, a visit to this cave is a must and will enrich you culturally very much.
Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Natural Site
This natural area is a beautiful landscape that everyone who has visited it has fallen in love with its views. It is a protected natural area, and is the largest in the province of Malaga, located in the municipalities of Alora, Ardales and Bobadilla.
The Paraje Natural Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, also known as “Garganta de El Chorro”, has an incredible fauna and vegetation that every nature lover will love. Animals such as mountain goats, falcons or the golden eagle can be found in this fantastic landscape. Regarding the vegetation, you can discover the Aleppo pines, holm oaks or the most protected plant, the Rupicapnos Africana, which appears in the red book of protected species of Andalusia. It grows on vertical rocks and is in serious danger of extinction.
From an aesthetic point of view, the verticality of these large rock masses makes them incredibly spectacular. It is also very striking how narrow this canyon is, being in some stretches about 10 meters wide.
There is one thing to bear in mind about this spot, and that is that it is home to the famous “Caminito del Rey“, which we will talk about later in another section.
El Caminito del Rey
This path is considered “the most dangerous path in the world“, or at least it was considered so in the past. Today it has been restored, and a path that seems to be born of a dream rather than of the useful necessity of connecting two hydroelectric installations by the shortest route. In fact, if you want to enjoy the best experience of the Caminito del Rey, with our Caminito del Rey Guided Tour you will have it, with the best possible guides.
The path is almost 100 meters above the bottom of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, mentioned above, and the total length of the Caminito del Rey is 7.7 km, of which 4.8 km are accesses and 2.9 km are walkways. Views are of unparalleled beauty.
The route is only one way, entering from the north (Ardales) and leaving from the south (Álora). You must secure your return by your own methods. The entrance fee to the Caminito del Rey is about 10 euros and the opening hours in winter are from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm, and in summer from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm. It is closed on Mondays.
The Huma Mountains
This montain is as incredible as the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, and is one of the main geographical attractions of the province of Malaga. The limestone escarpments or the variable shapes of what is called Torcal Chico make the Sierra de la Huma a special and unique landscape. Many Jurassic marine fossil sites can be found here, as it was under the sea millions of years ago.
It has an impressive height of 1,818 m and gives the visitor impressive views of El Chorro and the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Natural Park, and you can even see the coast of Malaga.
Also, for those who wish to enjoy this incredible place, there is a route available from El Chorro that goes through “La Escalera Árabe” and will make you enjoy even more the experience and sensations that La Sierra de la Huma will give you. Don’t hesitate to visit it, you will love every moment.
Ardales Museum
The Ardales Museum is one of the most culturally interesting places in this municipality and has about 800 pieces that deal with the prehistory of Ardales and the Guadalteba region. Its virtual visit is a very interesting attraction that we highly recommend.
The museum has six rooms spread over two floors. On the ground floor, you can take a journey through the origins of Ardales in prehistoric times. On the upper floor, there is a room dedicated to classical and medieval archaeology.
Also, if you are new to Ardales, next to the museum, you will find the meeting point for visitors to the Ardales Cave, as well as the Ardales Cave offices, where you can also book your visit.
This museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 h. and from 16:00 to 18:00 h. and on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00 h. It is closed on Mondays.
