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Go back to holiday categories > Independent Walks in Spain > Self Guided Trekking Holiday - White Villages of Sierra de la Nieves - Andalucia

Type: Independent Walks in Spain
Price: From Ł390 - Ł535 per week B&B

A tour of some of the prettiest white villages of Malaga province in Andalucia. Wonderfully varied terrain within the Unesco Biosphere Reserve of Sierra de la Nieves.

THE GRADE
Avanzado

THE AREA
Olive groves, orange orchards, vineyards and wild forest are all surrounded by towering limestone mountains in the southern province of Malaga. Only an hour inland from the Costa del Sol, this is a world apart from the highrise blocks and casinos of the coastal strip.

THE ITINERARY
Day 1 Transfer to the pretty white village of El Burgo.

Day 2 Walk to Casarabonela. Olive groves, arable fields and ruined cortijos. Skirt the lower slopes of the limestone peaks and follow the remains of a Roman road into your next white village. 4hrs 30 mins.

Day 3 Continue to Alozaina. Today the views open up as you climb the folds of Sierra Prieta. Well crafted paths zig zag gradually take you through pines and mediterranean aromatic scrub, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Sierra Nevada. 5 hrs

Day 4 Onto Yunquera. A complete change of terrain and climate as the tracks link river valleys dotted with citrus orchards. 4 hrs

Day 5 Complete the circle back to El Burgo. Enter the Nature Park of Sierra de las Nieves with its vast forest of ones and endemic Spainish Fir. A day of wild terrain, limestone pinnacles and tantalising glimpses of a former monsatery. 5hrs.

Day 6 Optional linear walk to Ronda (7hrs) or circular walk (3 hrs)and transfer to Ronda. if you are still full of energy then the walk to Ronda is one of the most rewarding of the week. Shadowing the river Turon, the route heads upstream and over a pass skirting a ruined Moorish watchtower. A gentle prolonged descent to Ronda through evergreen oaks rough scrub on good track is often rewarded with sightings of deer, vultures and eagles.

Day 7 Discover Ronda with option of half day walk in surrounding countryside. The old town of Ronda is a charming mix of curling streets, minarets and grand medieval houses, a cultural mix reflecting times when Moors, Jews and Christians all lived together.

Day 8 Transfer to Malaga airport

THE ACCOMMODATION
Comfortable hotels, Inns, and village houses all in picturesque village settings with en suite facilities.

More Information

When to go: Al year except July and August.
Transfer Options: Malaga Airport. Taxi to start of route
Grade of Difficulty: Medium - Hard
What's included.: 7 nights in 1, 2 & 3 star hotels as well as village houses, all en suite accommodation. Luggage transfers, route notes and maps.

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Mad English in Sierra de las Nieves

Not many hardy souls make it out in these sorts of conditions, especially when they are supposed to be on holiday. Neil and Claire aren't your average walkers, keen on stretching their legs in out of season conditions whilst holidaying in Andalucia, Spain.

"I'll take you on one of my special walks close to the village of El Burgo" I told them. Little did I realise just how special the day was going to be. After a short drive, we hiked up through the mist till we hit the tree line. Another half an hour of walking brought us to a saddle where the path hopped from one side of the mountain to the other. "We'll be a bit exposed for a short way" I commented. Within a minute our windward side was all but frozen by a bitter horizontal driving rain. Before we could regain the shelter of the trees and the leeward side of Sierra Prieta, both Neil and Claire were forced to stop and don waterproof trousers and swab their lenses.

Climbing through the pines, the mist was thick, but on the odd occasion it cleared briefly, pierced by the surrounding pinnacles, and the views dropped steeply down the valley to our right. All too soon the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. By the time we gained the pass to Yunquera and cleared the forests I knew it was time to call it a day. The summit of Sierra Cabrilla, a further 200m ascent with no path and steep drops would have been a foolhardy undertaking to say the least. A good friend and fellow guide, once told me how some clients complained about not getting to a summit. "Well at least you'll be alive to talk about it when you get home" was his considered reply!

There were no such complaints on this day when I announced taht we would go no further. So I whipped out the camera and this was the result..what a day!