El Torcal, a unique landscape

El Torcal is situated in Antequera, an hour away from Malaga by car. It's a natural beauty where you can go climbing, in an extraordinary and impressive landscape.

We mustn't forget that el Torcal is high up, and therefore the temperatures are much lower than they are in Malaga. For that reason, going in winter is not recommended. Neither should you visit it just after it's been raining, because the place will be muddy (which is exactly what happened to us). We went in March, and although it was hot in Malaga and you could wear summer clothes, in el Torcal, we needed jackets, gloves and a woolly hat.

We got there by using Google Maps; however, you have to pay close attention to the road, because we made the wrong turning at a fork and it took us double the amount of time to get there. The climb to the top is quite scary (if you're afraid of heights) and there are many curves. Also, that day it was quite foggy, and it covered the whole mountain; you couldn't see anything at all! When you go inside, there's a park where you can park your car, just next to the Centro de Visitantes (the visitors' centre).

In the Centro de Visitantes, there's a free museum which explains how El Torcal was formed and how it got its unusual shape. There, they explain the two routes you can follow, and which is better suited to you. We had to take the short route, due to the mud, because there were areas which were flooded, and you could easily slip.

The route takes around two hours, if you make a stop to eat. With all that, we left wanting to do the long route, so I think we'll definitely come back one day. It's an extraordinary place, with a unique beautiful landscape in which you feel at one with nature.

If you live in Malaga or come to visit, don't forget to go to El Torcal!

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