Malaga has many places to visit such as the Caminito del Rey or Ronda. It also has a Protected Natural Area. This is a Natural Area located in Antequera.
El Torcal de Antequera is one of the most impressive karstic landscapes in Europe. It is located at more than 1200 meters above sea level and is a mid-mountain terrain. So if you are going to visit this place we recommend you to wear comfortable and warm clothes, a comfortable rucksack with water. In short, make sure to equip yourself properly. Are you ready to visit it?
Main Routes in Torcal de Antequera
You can visit the Natural Park on your own or with a specialized guide. If you choose the former, we recommend that you start at the Torcal Alto Visitors’ Center, where the staff will give you advice on the natural area. We would like to remark that there are free visits for both individual and group visits.
El Torcal de Antequera has three signposted hiking routes which are free of charge and whose terrain is rocky and irregular. Two of them have access adapted for people with reduced mobility.
The Green Route
The first route you can take is the Green Route. It starts in the upper car parking and shares part of the route with the Yellow Route. It is a 1.50 km route and the circuit is circular.
The gradient reached on this route is 40m and takes about 45 minutes to get through. It is a medium-low difficulty route whose ground is very stony and irregular. On this route you can get to know the morphology of “El Torcal de Antequera” and recognize figures such as the Sphinx, the Indian or the Watchman.
The Yellow Route
The second route you can take is the Yellow Route. It starts from the upper car parking and ends at the Visitor Centre. You will go through El Torcal Alto, an area full of mazes where it is easy to get disoriented. The first and last sections coincide with the Green Route. On this route you can see some figures such as El Dedo (the finger), El Camello (the camel) or La Jarra (the pitcher).
It is a circular route of 3 km with a gradient of 53m and the duration of the walk is approximately 2 hours. As in the Green Route, it is a very stony and irregular ground, although its difficulty is medium.
The Route up to El Torcal Alto or “Orange
The last route you can take is the Route to El Torcal Alto. This route connects the two car parking. One is located next to the entrance to the Natural Park and the other next to the Visitor Centre. On this route you will pass by the old quarries and grazing areas, such as the Hoyo de Gramaeros.
This route is linear of 3.60 km with a gradient of 263 meters and the duration is 3 hours and 50 minutes (round journey) and, as the previous routes, it has a stony and irregular ground.
How to get there
El Torcal de Antequera is 15km away from the city. You can access it with your private car as it has two parking. One is in the upper part with few spaces and the other in the lower part is just 2 km from the visitor center.
If you decide to travel by AVE (High-Speed Train), you can get there from any point. Then, from the station, look for a taxi or special transport to take you directly to the Paraje Natural.
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Best dates to visit
El Torcal de Antequera has different timetables for the different seasons of the year. We recommend visiting in spring, as the landscape is green and the temperature is mild.
In summer, which also includes the spring time, you can visit El Torcal from 10.00h to 19.00h.
In winter, including autumn, you can visit it from 10.00h to 17.00h. During the Christmas season it will be open on December 24th and 31st and January 5th from 10.00h to 14.00h while on December 25th and January 1st and 6th it will be closed.
Where can I eat?
You can take advantage of your visit to Antequera to make a stop at some of its restaurants. Among them we recommend the Adarve restaurant which is located right in the centre of the city. In the Visitors’ Centre you will also find a small restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Torcal de Antequera.
Where do I sleep?
Antequera has many places where you can stay. Among them, the Alcazabilla holiday home with two bedrooms is located in the centre of Antequera. Another place where you can stay is the Convento la Magdalena, which is a spectacular space in the middle of the countryside where you can better enjoy mother nature.
Furthermore, Oway tours offers other guided tours to suit all tastes. For those lovers of nature that would like to enjoy even more the landscape of Malaga you can join the trip to the impressive Caminito del Rey. Another option available is one for those lovers of the urban life: our Free Walking Tour around the city of Malaga is at your total disposal. Don’t miss these opportunities and join us!
