HIKING TRIPS: Spain, Andalucia, Costa del Sol / Sierra de las Nieves

TECH. DETAILS Location : Andalucia, Costa del Sol, Malaga Province Starting Point: El Quejigal Refuge or “Refugio Felix Rodríguez de la Fuente” Destination: Torrecilla Mountain Peek – 1918 meters Total length in Kilometres: 16 km Total time of hike: 5-6 hours (round trip) GPS Co-ordinates: Starting Point (Ref. El Quejigal): - Destination (Pico Torrecilla): 36' 40.559N 004' 59.773W Difficulty: Medium - High Add. Comment: Malaga's highest peek which is unique to the Pinsapo tree. Situated in the Sierra de las Nieves the area is of high ecological value. Do not leave the marked paths or you could get fined.

Photo of the top of the Torrecilla Mountain (1918m)

Getting there : Take the Costa del Sol N-340 highway until you reached San Pedro . Here take the road up to Ronda . This mountain winding road is beautifully placed with some astonishing scenery to all the “ Sierra de Las Nieves ” Mountain range, the Coast and with a bit of luck Gibraltar and the Moroccan Riff Mountains. Continue the road for some 30-45 min. until you reach Ronda's plateau. Here watch out for a sign on your right indicating “El Quejigal” (I believe around kilometre 13). Turn here and continue with the road. The paved road soon turns into a dirt road, with some potholes, nevertheless easily accessible with any type of car. Continue on the road for around 15 min. until you arrive to the Quejigal refuge and public area. The area has plenty of parking spaces, as it can become quite busy on weekends with locals enjoying nature and the provided barbeques.

The Hike : As you leave the barbeque area, you will find a large sign indicating the path to follow on your right. The path is generally well marked with wooden poles every so and so. Soon you will arrive to the wooded area populated with Pinsapo trees. These trees only exist here in the “Sierra de las Nieves” mountain range and a few also remain in Northern Morocco. Unfortunately, they are on the verge of extinction. It is here where the path starts getting a bit steep. Follow it up to the top of the mountain for some gratifying views of the coast.

As you walk to towards some antennas situated on the hill-top, you should find a sign with an overview of the different peaks to be seen. Follow the path to the right of the sign (the path finally goes slightly downhill). While walking to the Torrecilla, one will notice a stone circled structure of 8-10 meters in diameter. This was used by locals in the not so long past to recollect snow. This was later compressed and then taken by donkey to the towns and cities to sell. Continue the walk until you reach the “Pilar de Tollox” fountain and stream. Beside the fountain, on the cliff holes there are a couple of crosses and small virgin statues insinuating that the area is used by some for pilgrimage. Also noticeable are some stone ruins that point to a more glorious past. By the way, this is the only place where you will find water on your journey.

Some of the Pinsapo trees on the journey

From this small fountain, the trek to the mountaintop gets more awkward. The path becomes slippery and its steepness increases drastically. You nevertheless will be greatly rewarded once you reach the top. Astonishing views of the whole of Malaga's province, Northern Africa, Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean Sea will great you. There is even a small post box used by walkers to leave their testimony of having reached the Coast's highest peak.

Precautions: Start your trip early and in good time. In winter it gets dark soon, so make sure you start your way back before 15:00. Remember, in winter it gets cold and it can snow, while in summer it can get extremely hot. Apart from the usual mountain gear, take a compass or a GPS if you hike while it is snowed, plus always carry lots of water.

Personal Info: Hiked with Lolo, Ana and Mui Mui. The weather was sunny as the clouds were bellow us, but it became cold as soon as the sun began setting. Date of hike: Sunday 16/01/05

Views on the way to the Torrecilla mountain