Guided walking holiday based exclusively in Nerja

You will be greeted on arrival at your accommodation in Nerja and we’ll have a briefing of the week ahead on the hotel’s pool terrace. This is also a good time to ask any final niggling questions in preparation for the start of the trek the following day.

Today’s walk is an enjoyable route that offers big views, lovely scenery, and a variety of good trails and paths on interesting hillside terrain. We follow a flat, dry river course out of Maro through a shady and cool pine forest where you will have a good chance at spotting some interesting wildlife, like the red squirrel or common chameleon. Higher up the valley, on the exposed hillsides, we sill stop for lunch at the site of an abandoned cortijo that offers some interesting historical points for discussion. Here on these slopes at over 500 metres in altitude there are some magnificent views down the valley to the coast. This is also a superb vantage point from which to observe birds of prey as they fly in and around the sheer cliffs immediately across the valley. Continuing along our route, we descend into an adjacent valley along a forest track from which you will be able to enjoy the precipitous slopes of El Almendrón, the sweeping views of the valley beneath us, and the subtly shaded outline in the pines of the gorge running below the canopy. Once down on the valley floor, we enter a beautiful eucalyptus lined gorge that provides a lot of interesting material for discussion. Emerging from the other side, we conclude the day with a quick tour of the village of Maro and its surrounding countryside to appreciate some of the interesting delights of centuries gone by, such as the 17th century Maro church, the old sugar factory of Las Mercedes, and the Eagle Aqueduct, to name a few, before finally arriving at the hotel.

Rating: moderate       Distance: 15 km       Time: 7 hrs       Acc. ↑: 225 m       Acc. ↓: 75m

All aboard! This morning we catch the Frigiliana village bus to start today’s walk from this historic and most charming of Axarquían villages. The walking just gets better and better, and today’s walk is certainly a cut above the rest, so far! So with a good hearty breakfast and lots of enthusiasm, we will set off for a roller-coaster ride! The itinerary is replete with historic and interesting points of discussion, not to mention the beauty of the varied scenery. Your walk will take you on an exciting adventure as you traverse two deep valleys, pay a visit to an historic mountain spring, and walk along one of the most magnificent ridges in the area, affording some of the best views one could wish for of Nerja and the coast. With Nerja and the coast now in your sights, you begin your final approach to Nerja from atop a prominent mountain ridge that stretches all the way up to the second highest peak in the sierras. From this position, you will be astonished by the splendid views from what is perhaps one of the best panoramic spots around Nerja. We slowly make our way off the mountain and roll into Nerja for some well deserved self-pampering.
Rating: moderate – difficult     Distance: 16 km     Time: 9 hrs       Acc. ↑: 225 m     Acc. ↓: 75m

Today's options are many, one of which is the opportunity to go on one of my hugely interesting themed rural tours on offer as your rest day activity.

For this Nerja-based walking holiday, I would highly recommend the themed rural tour "Málaga Winemaking and Gastronomy" because it involves hardly any walking and the vineyard is a relatively short drive away from Nerja. You can read more about it by following the link at the bottom of this page.

Please note that the cost associated with the "Málaga Winemaking and Gastronomy" tour (visit to the vineyard, transport and lunch) is not included in the advertised price for this walking holiday as the final price per person is ultimately dependent on the final number of people participating.

Furthermore, many, if not, most of the themed rural tours may not be appropriate as a "rest day" activity, as is the case with "The Muleteer Odyssey", and to a certain extent, the "Visit to the Ham Curing and Drying House in the Alpujarra". Consequently, "The Muleteer Odyssey" also would definitely not be included as an option, but in the case of the "Visit to the Ham Curing House", the walking/hiking element could be replaced with visits to some of the other very interesting villages in the Alpujarra, followed by the visit to the curing house. The same rule would apply to any other themed rural tour with a heavy ratio of walking versus  relaxing, in which case the walking element could be replaced with a visit to a village, site of interest, non-strenuous activity, etc.

Of course, another option would be to not have a rest day and to do another walk, in which case I would suggest embarking on an easy walk of less demands and perils. Nevertheless, at least one rest day during mid-week is highly recommended. 

Alternatively, the most hedonistic option would be for you to do absolutely nothing on your mid-week rest day. Perhaps you may wish to catch the bus into Málaga and spend the morning, afternoon or even the entire day there visiting some of the very interesting sites, or enjoying walking through the old town centre. Or you might want to just stay in Nerja and lie on the beach or go for a stroll around town to get some postcards or souvenirs for friends and family - the choice is yours.

The choices for great scenic walks around Nerja and Frigiliana can sometimes be overwhelming. This is yet another big walk for views, exciting and rewarding  terrain, pretty countryside vistas, and unbelievably delicious food. Beginning in the historic "Barrio Morisco" of Frigiliana's old town, you will take on one of the classic walking routes of the Sierra Almijara to arrive at a magnificent peak standing at 1000m, and the site of one of the most important events to have transpired during Andalucia's, and indeed Spain's history, during the 16th century. With the peak conquered, we follow the path downwards towards the fascinating hamlet of El Acebuchal, a quaint little hamlet with a compelling history of its own, especially during the post Spanish civil war period. Arriving at El Acebuchal, you will be immediately struck by the serenity and beauty of the surroundings of this reclusive Axarquian hamlet. The best part of the visit is the amazing food and the homemade, country-style breads, desserts and ice creams. With lunch out of the way, your return to Frigiliana will follow a different route that will take you through the countryside in order to give you an opportunity to savour the charm and character of this lovely area. And if you are lucky, you may even find yourself in the fortunate situation of having to compete for scarce space with a herd of Málaga goats along one of the many narrow country lanes.
Rating: moderate       Distance: 16 km       Time: 8 hrs       Acc. ↑: 225 m       Acc. ↓: 75m

For the final day of your walking holiday, you will explore the Axarquía in a slightly different way than you have done over the past four or five days. Your final adventure will take you along the intricate network of backroads, country lanes and walking paths of the Torrox countryside. We venture into the countryside and through the landscape of allotments, fincas, avocado and mango orchards and open fields for an opportunity to experience a different aspect of the Axarquía in contrast to your previous days’ walks in the hills and mountains of the sierras. There are many curious things to see on this walk, not least of them being other human beings! Yes, it might come as a surprise to you to think that other human beings will be a welcome sight, however, believe me when I say that after having spent the past four days in the solitude of these mountains, you will be hypersensitised to, and intrigued by, even the simplest and most banal of human contact. We will enjoy a solid Andalusian lunch in a restaurant at the halfway point in Torrox, after which we will rise to the occasion of the final “paso” and begin a very scenic walk through the Mediterranean scrub along the coastal hills on our way towards Nerja.
Rating: easy – moderate     Distance: 22 km     Time: 8 hrs     Acc. ↑: 225 m     Acc. ↓: 75m

On your second rest day, you are at liberty to do whatever you wish. I can organise and inform you about various outdoor and aquatic activities that might be of interest. For those who might wish to go on another walk of a slightly different "nature", this could also be an option.

Again, the most hedonistic option would be for you to do absolutely nothing on your rest day and just lie on the beach to catch some sun before your trip home.

Goodbyes and farewells. You will be collected from your accommodation and taken to Málaga airport for your return flight home.

Recently refurbished in 2017, the Hotel Villa Flamenca in Nerja is a stylish yet comfortable and affordable hotel offering various facilities and services. It is located on a quiet street just far enough away from the centre of town so that you will not be disturbed by the bustle of the town and its excited Nerjeños, yet is close enough to the centre so that you are never more than a 5 - 10 minute walk away from all the action of the local seafood bars, restaurants, cocktail bars, etc. The staff are very friendly and overly helpful and will ensure that your stay is enjoyable and comfortable.