Experience the power of nature all around Costa del Sol

People know that being out in nature brings a wide set of benefits. The trees, plants, beaches, caves, animals, among other living things provide stress releasing moments and creative boosts possibilities. How often do you go out and immerse yourself into nature? We invite you to come visit Costa del Sol and spend some time trying the mental, physical and spiritual benefits it has for you. Here you can find several ecological tours where you can take a break from “real life” work and anxieties and engage in other activities to have better performance when you go back to the “real world”.

Frigiliana Axarquia, in Málaga Province, is a warm land under the influence of the Mediterranean Sea. A landscape with gentle rolling hills and open valleys, planted with olive, almond trees and vineyards. This county is composed of a great white village like Frigiliana, that seem still to be stuck in the past of Muslim origin. During this trip, you will observe its white walls, its steep labyrinthine and narrow streets, Moorish architecture, its many fountains and colorful pots. Frigiliana is one of the prettiest villages and the best preserved in all Andalucía. If you book a tour in this route, remember to go through the mountains of the Natural Park Sierra Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama.

Another great natural experience can be lived in Torcal, in Antequera. In this protected natural area you will discover the history of Antequera and the wilderness of the Natural Park of El Torcal, an amazing geological miracle! A spectacular hiking route around a unique landscape known for its unusual landforms, is one of the most impressive karst landscapes in Europe. El Torcal stands out for his incredible limestone formations. It’s one of the best things to do in Málaga hinterlands; in the middle of Andalusia region you can find this geological huge formation where enjoying a natural spirit.

The Roman Sulphur baths of Hedionda, near Casares village, have a special stream with high Sulphur content in the water due to the spring flowing from a limestone outcrop above the valley. It attracted the attention of the Romans 2000 years ago and an arched bathing complex was created of which four chambers still exist. This bath has been always used as a healing tool and still today people go there trying to cope with their skin illnesses. A small first chamber leads via an archway and tunnel to a much larger inner chamber.

One of the most interesting natural activities will take you to Benahavis, 7km away from Marbella that will take you navigate down a water course by a combination of walking, climbing, swimming, abseiling, jumping and generally scrambling down the river and its banks. Though this trip you will have full contact with natural landscapes such as waterfalls, amazing Gorges, to never forget this adventurous day. This activity is suitable for most ages, though you should be fit and agile enough for a couple of hours of scrambling in and around flowing water, be a competent swimmer and be willing to push yourself when it comes to jumping into pools of water from natural surroundings.

If you prefer to be on your own two feet and have a different experience by practicing mindfulness when you walk, the region also offers excellent hiking trails. One of the most well-known ones is La Puerta Verde a long route connecting Marbella with Ronda. This area goes through the mountain zone of the Malagueña Serranía, situated in the Natural Park of Sierra de las Nieves. This park is one of the most important ecosystems in Andalucía, considered by UNESCO as biosphere reserve. This will guarantee extremely impressive landscapes and beautiful sunsets such as the Peñón de los Enamorados next to Torrecilla. This trip might take you two days to do until you get to Ronda so we recommend splitting the excursion into two, the first half from San Pedro to Las Conejeras or Quejigales, and the second half from there to Ronda.

Finally, we have the La Concha hike in Marbella’s most famous mountain. You can do it from Juanar, 25 minutes from central Marbella and takes 8km to get to the top of it. We can help you contact an experienced guide to coordinate your first summit, because there are numerous paths and some parts of the climb are treacherous. This hike is not recommended for children under the age of 12. At 1200 meters above sea level, the mountain of La Concha is one of Marbella’s most recognized landmarks with its chiseled shape and deep grooves. Through the trail you can see olive groves, pine trees, berry bushes and walnut trees along the trek as well as Spanish goats, eagles and owls. Remember that you must be as comfortable as possible, take water and phone charged with you all the time.