How To Visit El Torcal de Antequera | Spain’s Famous Karst Landscape

Planning a day trip to the mesmerising El Torcal de Antequera? Our guide has got you sorted!

Perhaps it was all the paintings back in the Picasso museum, or the pre-Colombian sculptures we fell for a few months earlier in Mexico City , but we were seeing art everywhere in the cracked rocks of El Torcal de Antequera.

Figures of pregnant brides, stoic watchmen, a pair of thuggish brothers, bears, birds, and a silent squatting boy.

If was an artistic bone in either of our bodies, this geological curiosity would be a constant muse, but we settled for its surprising status as an open-air gallery.

In the rural heart of Andalusia, a scenic hour’s drive from the coastal city of Malaga, the UNESCO World Heritage site of El Torcal de Antequera is rightly regarded as one of Europe’s most striking and unusual landscapes.

It is absolutely worthy of a half-day or more on your holiday.

In our guide, we’ll share everything you need to know on the origins of the bizarre limestone karst formations, how to get there from Málaga, advice on the three walking routes within the mountains, and tips on how long you need and what to bring along.

This is our essential guide to visiting El Torcal de Antequera, also known as Paraje Natural Torcal de Antequera.

The Geological Origins

All that you’ll see here was once under water.

Then, some 150 to 200 million years ago in the Jurassic Period, the earth moved. Its tectonic plates shifted and grinded against each other, and layers of compacted and compressed marine shells and skeletons on the seabed rose up to eventually form the pale block and spire mountains of El Torcal.

So far, so geological evolution.

El Torcal’s cracks and shapes are made of limestone, and the reason for their curious appearance comes from a process known as ‘karstification’. It only affects soluble types of rock, which act like a sponge for water to permeate and flow through them, thereby creating fissures, caves, veins, and sinkholes.

These processes, aided by the gradual effects of the wind and rain, ultimately give form to the distinctive ‘karst’ landscape you’ll see here, as well as in the Dolomites and Thailand.

With each crack, a new shape or face emerges and there are several well-known ‘monuments’ and ‘formations’ to look out for in El Torcal, as well as as incredibly clear fossil imprints.

How To Get To El Torcal de Antequera

Drive

We were based in Málaga and decided to rent a car for a few days to make it easier to do the Caminito del Rey, visit El Torcal de Antequera, and head up to the Parque Natural Montes de Málaga.

If you’re happy driving and doing it independently, then that’s what we recommend.

Several rental companies have offices in and around the city centre, but it’s usually cheaper to pick up at the airport. We did the latter but, if you’re primarily on a Malaga city break there’s really no need to have a car for the entirety of your time – and having to find accommodation with convenient parking just adds an extra stress (we literally had to drive around for over an hour one evening to find a free space near our Airbnb).

We’ll leave it up to you to decide based on your plans and where you’re staying, but recommend looking + booking via Rentalcars.comorAutoEurope; we exclusively use those two platforms as they’re usually cheaper than going direct.

The quickest way to El Torcal de Antequera from Málaga is along the highway, followed by a more scenic rural section, with a narrow bendy road toward the end. If you’re in no rush though, there is an option to avoid the highway and turn off into the countryside soon after you leave Málaga (adding about 20 minutes to the journey).

For your GPS, unless you are 100% certain you’re doing the more challenging Orange Trail, you should enter in the details for the large, free main car park by the visitors centre (Google Maps)

Note that it’s also feasible to visit El Torqual on a day trip from Marbella or Granada.

Plan // 9 Things To Know Before Renting a Car in Spain

El Torcal Tours

Firstly, it’s important to note that the hiking specific options will give you more time in El Torcal (up to three hours) than those which combine with the nearby UNESCO heritage site of The Dolmens – more on those later!

We’ve done the hard work and shared a selection of the best, highly-rated tours to choose from for every budget and travel style, but be aware that several don’t include transport to/from Malaga, instead meeting in the nearby town of Antequera.

•Torcal de Antequera Hiking Tour from Málaga | An active small-group half-day tour with round-trip transfers from Malaga in an air-conditioned van. It usually arrives early, so you can enjoy the park at its emptiest. Also available to book here on Viator, so do compare prices.

•Antequera Torcal Hiking and Dolmens Site | Visiting the two UNESCO sites, this six-hour tour from Málaga includes two hours hiking in El Torcal.

If you have your own transport and can make your way to the town of Antequera independently, there’s a popular and highly-rated small group tour option that combines the Torcal and Dolmens, with a transfer between the two sites – it is available to book on Viator and GetYourGuide, and is facilitated by the local tourism department.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to have more time on the trails and less travelled paths, consider this private tour option (also meeting in Antequera).

Public Transport

At time of writing, there is no public transport to El Torcal de Antequera from Málaga or elsewhere in Andalusia. This means you’ll have to drive or join a guided tour with transport.

The Walking Routes in El Torcal de Antequera

Whilst it’s possible to arrive and just go to a few viewpoints and the visitors centre, we highly recommend setting aside an hour or two to explore at least one of the main trails within the nature reserve.

It doesn’t have to be a long time out walking, and from the car park and visitor centre you can dip in and out quite easily. As well as a being a pleasant way to spend an hour or two and work off that extra plate of croquetas de bacalao, it is the very best way to see and appreciate the unique, unusual rock formations.

There are three official routes, ranging from easy to a bit more challenging, and they all start from the visitor centre (here on Google Maps). You can find a maps, QR codes for routes, and further information inside the centre, and the English-speaking staff at the counter were generous with their time whenever anyone had questions about which they should opt for.

The visitor centre is open seven days a week from 10am to 7pm in summer (until 5pm November to March), and has toilets, a restaurant, small shop, and more information on the geology, but you can still easily access the trails outwith these hours and it’s not required to go in or via the visitor from the car park.

There are also signs and maps in the car park at the start of the two main trails, and it’s recommended that people start there to walk in the same direction and avoid bottlenecks.

For travellers that are less mobile, you’re still be able to visit a couple of excellent viewpoints and platforms overlooking the rocks and Andalusian landscape stretching out for miles – we’ve shared details below.

All terrain on the trails is quite similar – rock, dry, dusty, and uneven – but parts can be very slippery and it’s easy to lose your footing on the loose stones. It’s mostly flat, straightforward and easy to follow though, with the option to add in a scramble or little climb, and the Green & Yellow trails should be viewed as an enjoyable walk in a spectacular landscape, not a hardcore hike or something that you have to put a lot of preparation.

The right footwear helps though, and whilst you can absolutely do it in decent sports trainers (that’s what we wore), hiking boots or shoes will give more support and stability. If there has been any rain, note that the trails will be muddy.

The Green Route | 1.5km | 45 minutes | Circular

This is the easiest & shortest trail and, if low on time or energy, we insist that you at least try and do this one! Also known as ‘Sendero del Torcal Alto’, we saw a few families with young children on it.

You can find the start point on the right side of the car park (here on Google Maps), and you’ll end by the visitor centre and viewpoints.

Find a route overview and map here.

The Yellow Route | 3km | 2 hours | Circular

This is the longer loop we did, and it was definitely worth the extra time for several of the formations you’ll see along the way (and the odd mountain goat too). The greater distance also meant it had fewer people, and those that were on it were more evenly spread.

It’s described as ‘medium’ difficulty, but we think it’s definitely on the easier side of that scale.

The Green and Yellow Trails have the same start point, follow each other for quite a bit and intersect twice, so if you’re uncertain on which to do between them, go for the Yellow as that effectively means you’re also doing 95% of the Green trail.

If uncertain, you’ll see two notice boards with further information on both routes and loops at the start point by the car park.

Note that there are some signposts in Spanish on the trail, where the green and yellow intersect. The translations are: Ruta Amarilla = Yellow Route, Ruta Verde = Green Route, and Ruta Naranja = Orange Route.

You rejoin the Green Trail for the final section, and also end at the visitor centre and viewpoints.

Find a map, more information, and recent visitor notes here on AllTrails.

Book |A Small-Group Hiking Tour in El Torcal

The Orange Route | 3.8km | 1.5 hours one-way

We wish we had made time to do this but, alas, we did not.

Described as medium difficulty, this is the longest and most challenging of the official trails in El Torqual nature park. It’s possible to just do it one-way or as an 8.6km/3-4 hour loop.

It starts from the small lower car park (here on Google Maps) in the foothills on the A-7075 road, which you’ll arrive at first if driving here, therefore it’s important arrive knowing whether you’re doing the Orange or not.

This trail is steeper than the others, and you will eventually arrive at the main car park and visitor centre – it’s common for day hikers to then tag on the Yellow Trail loop.

There’s a shuttle bus for €2 running between the upper and lower car parks, so you can either opt to take that back down, or park in the lower car park, shuttle bus up, do the yellow and then follow the orange trail down.

As we haven’t personally walked this, we would really appeciate your own insights and experiences on the Orange Trail so that we can make this post as useful as possible for other travellers like you.

You can also find a map + more information on the Orange trail here on AllTrails.

Another option to consider is the old Red Route, Ruta Roja – find out more here.

The Miradors & Viewpoints

Easily accessible from the car park and visitor centre, the Mirador Las Ventanillas and the observation decks nearby allow those who are not able to hike the trails to get a glimpse of the signature karst limestone landscapes.

Find it here on Google Maps.

The Tornillo del Torcal de Antequera (maps) is not on the Green or Yellow trails, but also just a 5-minute walk from the car park, and a popular spot for people to walk to as well.

What To Bring & Know before visiting el torcal

· Unless you are doing the Orange Trail, you should park up in the Upper Car Park by the visitor centre (here on Google Maps).

· For the Orange Trail, you can opt for the much smaller Lower Car Park (Google Maps) and then take the shuttle bus up or down for €2 (one-way)

· Wear suitable footwear. Sports trainers with decent grip and hiking sandals, shoes or boots will be best for support on the least stable and slippier sections.

· It is chillier up here in the mountains, especially if you’ve arrived at 1,200 metres above sea level from the stifling heat of the coast, and everyone should bring a warmer layer or a windbreaker jacket if you’ve packed one. If you’re visiting El Torcal de Antequera outwith the summer months, then trousers and more layers may be required.

· If you have kids, please do pay attention to them on the rocks.

· Suncream, a hat, and plenty water are also essential.

· There is a restaurant in the visitor centre, but we suggest it’s nicer to bring along some snacks or a packed lunch to enjoy within the mountains with a view. However, it is vital that you bring out all rubbish to dispose of responsibly, and leave no trace.

· If you have flexibility, we recommend visiting El Torcal during the week to enjoy it with fewer people. On weekends, when many more locals make their way into the trails, the car park and site will be a lot busier generally – some report no spaces being available and lots parking on the roadside. 

· You may go a little off-trail unwittingly, but both the Green and Yellow routes can done without a map or app – though we suggest taking a photo of the signboards at the start of the trailhead just in case). You can also find the various route profiles over on AllTrails and Wikiloc.

· We briefly mentioned the Dolmens of Menga earlier, and these nearby prehistoric megalithic tombs are often paired with hikes in El Torcal. Dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, the massive stone structures are a UNESCO World Heritage Site too, and considered amongst the most impressive and significant dolmens in Europe. Found just down the hill in town at the Antequera Dolmens Archaeological Site (maps), it’s free to enter.

If you don’t have a car, then check out this Antequera Torcal Hiking and Dolmens Tour, which includes round-trip transport from Málaga and two hours hiking in El Torcal.

· The park runs special guided routes and stargazing tours throughout the year – find out more on the official website.

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