The Nature Reserve of El Torcal
a Natural Wonder
Soon we step into another world.
Paint marks on the rock guide you through the park.
We follow a well used path between a maze of rocks,
but it is easy to wander as it slopes gently up and down.
Pretty lilac flowers make a nice contrast in this rocky landscape.
After the first autumn rain the countryside comes into bloom rapidly.
It is quite exhilarating!
As far as the eye can see, a prehistoric like landscape.
Quite amazing to see these kind of rock formations.
Sculptured by natural forces like wind and rain.
At this point the yellow route separates from the green one.
We follow the yellow route which leads us deeper into the park.
Even at dizzy heights!
A giant crevice!
This rock formation looks like giant building block.
The damp and humid conditions are also ideal for the growth of moss and climbing plants like ivy.
A tunnel of plants.
After the heavy rain the path was quite muddy at times.
In the heart of the park the vegetation is very lush.
In autumn you find the hawthorn bush full of red berries.
The path takes another twist.
If you take a closer look at the rocky peaks it is very likely that you will see
Cabras del Monte (Spanish Ibex) starring down at you.
This ram looked quite relaxed up there.
Carefully we follow the path into a gap in the rock.
We wonder where it is leading to.
Most intriguing!
Slightly sceptical, I follow.
A magical world opens up!
We find ourselves dwarfed walking through this canyon.
It seems like a film-set of fairies and giants.
How fascinating this plant grew intertwined up this giant rock.
It certainly gets the imagination working overtime when walking around here!
People like to give names to the rock formations.
Take a closer look at the rock on the left side.
Doesn't it look like a camel?
The dark clouds with specs of blue sky and sunlit rock add to the dramatic landscape.
I suppose this cow knows where she is heading!
A pretty little bird hopped just a meter away from us.
The cloud look threatening but luckily the rain stayed away.
In the far distance and amidst the rocks is the visitor centre.
The 360º panoramic views which awaited us were just stunning.
And as we walked over the plateau we noticed dinner-plate size fossils on the rock floor.
The view towards the east and the Sierra Nevada in the distance.
El Torcal Nature Park behind us.
Deep down, the road from whence we came.
The village of Villanueva de la Conceptión.
A view is towards the south/west.
We have found an ideal place for a picnic.
On clear days you might be able to see the African coast.
Very often you can see birds of prey circling the sky above.
We walk back to the visitor centre.
It is here where the walk ends.
A herd of sheep right next to road.
A view towards the east.
An isolated sheep or goat farm, (granja).
Map of the route we walked.
How to get to El Torcal Nature Park
Prologue:
El Torcal is known for it's very unique limestone rock formations. The Nature reserve is of outstanding beauty and found in the north of the Málaga Province and near the town of Antequera. El Torcal was the first Nature reserve in Andalucía (1929) which was classed of National Nature Interest. In 1989 the government of Andalucía declared an area of 1171 hectares as a Nature Reserve for its geological, botanical and unique landscape.
These limestone rocks are the result of the accumulation of shells and skeletons of marine animals deposited in successive layers on the floor of an extensive sea which covered this area around 200 million years ago (during the Jurassic Period).
Information taken from board.
Around 20 million years ago, during the Alpine Ontogeny, the carbonate sediments (already transformed into limestone) were compressed, deformed and fractured, until they emerged in a slow and continuous process that is still taking place today. The limestone have remained exposed to atmospheric weathering and erosion since that time.
Information taken from board.
After their emergence, the slow continuous action of rainwater, snow and wind has caused the erosion and dissolution of limestone rocks, generating this particular land-form known as karst or karstic landscape.
Information taken from board.
At the entry to the park you find a Visitor Centre (Centro de Visitantes del Torcal) which contains a museum, souvenir shop, cafeteria and a large car park. There you can get any related information.
Take Note:
Because of its location and at a height of 1200 m above sea level El Torcal Nature park can be quite a bit cooler than the coast.
The Hike itself is moderate but appropriate shoes and clothing are advisable as well as to take water along with you.
Also it is highly advisable to stay on the marked walkway, as the risk of losing yourselves in the maize of rocks is high, especially in bad visibility like fog or low cloud.
Directions:
- Take the A-7 from Marbella to Málaga.
- In Málaga exit A-7 at Puerto de la Torre and drive towards Almogía and on to Villanueva de la Conception A-7075.
- From Villanueva de la Conception it is about 15-20 minutes drive.
- It is about 96km/1h40min to the El Torcal Nature park when coming from Marbella.
- This is a very scenic route and less busy than on the motorway Málaga/Antequera.
- The Hike starts at the visitor centre (Centro de Visitante) towards the right.
- Information boards indicates the route you can take.
- They are marked green (verde) 1,4 km/45 min. and yellow (amarillo) 2,75 km/2h.
This time we chose the Yellow route "Ruta amarillo" which is 2,75 km.
Soon we step into another world.
Paint marks on the rock guide you through the park.
We follow a well used path between a maze of rocks,
but it is easy to wander as it slopes gently up and down.
Pretty lilac flowers make a nice contrast in this rocky landscape.
After the first autumn rain the countryside comes into bloom rapidly.
It is quite exhilarating!
As far as the eye can see, a prehistoric like landscape.
It is certainly advisable to stay on the designated pathway.
Quite amazing to see these kind of rock formations.
Sculptured by natural forces like wind and rain.
At this point the yellow route separates from the green one.
We follow the yellow route which leads us deeper into the park.
You see plants sprouting from every nook and cranny.....
Even at dizzy heights!
 |
| Dwarf fan palm, Palmera enano |
Due to the humidity in the park the conditions are ideal for the growth of various kinds of moss and lichen.
A giant crevice!
This rock formation looks like giant building block.
The damp and humid conditions are also ideal for the growth of moss and climbing plants like ivy.
A tunnel of plants.
After the heavy rain the path was quite muddy at times.
In the heart of the park the vegetation is very lush.
In autumn you find the hawthorn bush full of red berries.
 |
| Hawthorn, Espino, (Crataegus monogyna) |
The path takes another twist.
If you take a closer look at the rocky peaks it is very likely that you will see
Cabras del Monte (Spanish Ibex) starring down at you.
This ram looked quite relaxed up there.
Carefully we follow the path into a gap in the rock.
We wonder where it is leading to.
Most intriguing!
Slightly sceptical, I follow.
A magical world opens up!
We find ourselves dwarfed walking through this canyon.
It seems like a film-set of fairies and giants.
How fascinating this plant grew intertwined up this giant rock.
It certainly gets the imagination working overtime when walking around here!
People like to give names to the rock formations.
Like the screw (El Tornillo), the dragon (El Dragon), the elephant
(El Elefante), the cathedrals (Los Catedrales) and many more.
Doesn't it look like a camel?
The dark clouds with specs of blue sky and sunlit rock add to the dramatic landscape.
I suppose this cow knows where she is heading!
A pretty little bird hopped just a meter away from us.
 |
| A Black redstart |
The cloud look threatening but luckily the rain stayed away.
In the far distance and amidst the rocks is the visitor centre.
About 50 meters from the visitor centre we turned right uphill.
We followed an unmarked track towards a high plateau.
The 360º panoramic views which awaited us were just stunning.
And as we walked over the plateau we noticed dinner-plate size fossils on the rock floor.
The view towards the east and the Sierra Nevada in the distance.
El Torcal Nature Park behind us.
Deep down, the road from whence we came.
The village of Villanueva de la Conceptión.
A view is towards the south/west.
We have found an ideal place for a picnic.
On clear days you might be able to see the African coast.
Very often you can see birds of prey circling the sky above.
We walk back to the visitor centre.
It is here where the walk ends.
A herd of sheep right next to road.
A view towards the east.
An isolated sheep or goat farm, (granja).
Map of the route we walked.
 |
| Wikiloc: El Torcal/Antequera |
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