ANDALUZJA COSTA DEL SOL przewodnik turystyczny SUNFLOWER

This guide book captures the very essence of this most evocative part of Spain. An ever-changing landscape awaits your discovery whether you are driving or walking in Andalucía — from the ‘white villages’ and ancient towns to the never-ending sierras, razor-sharp gorges and gentle verdant valleys. Since many people will explore Andalucía by car, most of the walks are circular.

Area covered: Despite covering only about a third of Andalucía, the book still takes in a huge area and is intended as an introduction to the south-central part of the region. The tours and walks fan out from the Costa del Sol — east to Granada and the Sierra Nevada, and west to Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema. Most walks are concentrated within specific areas: the Alpujarra, Sierra Nevada, Axarquía, Parque Natural Montes de Malaga, Sierra de Mijas, Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra de Grazalema.

The best months for walking in Andalucía are March to May, September and October, with comfortable temperatures and colourful countryside.

7 car tours, 40 long and short walks, 23 picnic suggestions
144 pages + touring map; plan of Marbella, large-scale (1:50,000) topo maps
4th ed, 2010; ISBN 978-1-85691-380-5; UK retail price £12.99 / USA retail price $17.99

Table of contents:

Preface 5
Nature notes 6
Country code for walkers, motorists and picnickers 7
Language (and Glossary) 8
Picnicking 9
Touring 14

THE ALPUJARRA (TOUR 1) 16
Almuñécar · Orgiva · Pampaneira · Bubión · Capileira · Pitres · Pórtugos · Trevélez · Vélez de Benaudalla · Almuñécar

SIERRA NEVADA (TOUR 2) 21
Almuñécar · (Detour 1: Canal de la Espartera) · (Detour 2: Sierra Nevada Visitor Centre · Maitena Visitor Centre) · Granada: the Alhambra · Armilla · Jayena · Otívar · Jete · Almuñécar

THE AXARQUIA (TOUR 3) 27
Cueva de Nerja · Frigiliana · Cómpeta · Canillas de Albaida · Salares · Canillas de Aceituno · Puente Don Manuel · Vélez Málaga · Torre del Mar · Torrox Costa · Cueva de Nerja

ANTEQUERA AND THE LAKES (TOUR 4) 32
Torremolinos · Parque Natural Torcal de Antequera · (Antequera) · El Chorro Nature Reserve · Carratraca · Torremolinos

SIERRA DE MIJAS (TOUR 5) 35
Benalmádena Costa · Mijas · Puerto de los Pescadores · Fuengirola · Benalmádena Costa

SIERRA DE LAS NIEVES (TOUR 6) 38
Marbella · (Istán) · San Pedro · Ronda · El Burgo · Guaro · Monda · Ojén · Marbella

SIERRA DE GRAZALEMA (TOUR 7) 43
Ronda · Villaluenga del Rosario · Benaocaz · Ubrique · El Bosque · Benamahoma · Puerto del Boyar · Grazalema · Ronda

WALKING
Grading and timing 47
Waymarking and maps 48
Where to stay 49
Getting about 49
Weather 49
What to take 51
Potential hazards 52
Organisation of the walks 52

WALKS IN THE ALPUJARRA
1 Busquístar · Baños de Panjuila · Ferreirola · Atalbéitar · Busquístar 53
2 Capileira: the three bridges 57
3 Río Naute and the Mulhacén approach 60
4 Three Andalusian villages: Capileira, Bubión and Pampaneira 66
5 Pampaneira · Soportújar · Carataunas · Orgiva 68

WALKS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA
6 Camino de la Estrella (Pathway to the Star) 71
7 Collado de las Sabinas 75
8 Toma del Canal 77
9 Boca de la Pesca 81

WALKS IN THE AXARQUIA
10 Cueva de Nerja · La Civila · Cortijo Almachares · Cueva de Nerja 85
11 Frigiliana 90
12 Fábrica de la Luz and Cueva de Melero 94
13 Alcaucín Valley: Ventas de Zafarraya to Puente Don Manuel 96

WALK IN EL CHORRO NATURE RESERVE
14 El Chorro Gorge and the Camino del Rey 101

WALKS IN THE SIERRA DE MIJAS
15 Woodland slopes 104
16 The beehive walk 108

WALKS IN THE SIERRA DE LAS NIEVES
17 Marbella · Puerto de Marbella · Olivar de Juanar · El Cerezal · Ojén 111
18 Istán 115
19 Río del Burgo 119
20 Peñón de los Enamorados (Lovers’ Rock) 123

WALKS IN THE SIERRA DE GRAZALEMA
21 Grazalema · Merendero del Boyar · Llano de las Presillas · Llano del Endrinal · Grazalema 128
22 Benaocaz · Casa del Dornajo · Puerto del Boyar · Salto del Cabrero · Benaocaz 133
23 Río El Bosque 139

Bus and train timetables 141
Index (of geographical names) 143
Touring map/plan of Marbella inside back cover