El Robledal to La Maroma Walk
Sendero El Robledal to La Maroma
Distance: 8.5
Linear
Time Required: 4 hours
Rating: Medium
Sendero El Robledal to La Maroma - One of the most well known walks, this challenging, linear walk is 8.5km long, ascending 1,000m, and takes around four hours. It climbs the northern face of the park's highest peak, La Maroma. Take the C-335 and turn off down a forestry track at the Venta de La Alcaicería. Once at the Casa Forestal de Robledal Alto, take another track that goes south towards Los Barracones, a rural tourism centre. Park here, because cars aren't allowed any further, and start walking.
About half a kilometre later, there is a fork with a signpost indicating the left track for the route to the summit of La Maroma. The track passes through pine and holm oak woodland. After 1 km there is a fire break and shortly afterwards the track changes into a path. Soon the path goes through a narrow v-shaped rocky area, known as the Contadero (counter), because it was used for funnelling sheep and cattle through, up to the mountain, so they could be counted more easily.
After the Contadero the path climbs more steeply. Around an hour and a quarter after starting the walk, look out for the Chorreras del Perro, where in winter water cascades down over sheer slopes of marble. To the right is the limestone peak of the Pico del Sol, at 2,000m.
There are more yew trees here and a waterfall called the Salto del Caballo. Take the left path and 15 minutes' later there's a spring. Ten minutes later the path reaches the peaks that divide the provinces of Malaga and Granada, with superb panoramic views across the park.
The peak of La Maroma is snow-covered in winter, but has some chasms that are filled with snow all year round. There are magnificent views over the whole park. The descent is along the same path.
Walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts
Buy walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts
"Walking in Andalucia" by Guy Hunter Watts
Walking in Andalucía is a 260 page full colour guide to some of the very best walks in southern Spain, taking the walker on 34 routes - all starting and most finishing in beautiful villages - in the Natural Parks of Grazalema, La Alpujarra, Cazorla, Los Alcornocales, Aracena, and La Axarquia. Many of the full and half day walks are virtually unknown even though they are a short drive from the Costa del Sol. Even though more and more people are beginning to walk Spain's southern sierras, most of the routes remain blissfully undiscovered. Guy says, 'If you decide to head for the hills with my guide you can be sure of two things: you will be walking through areas of great natural beauty and you will meet with other walkers.'
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking in Andalucia.
"Coastal walks in Andalucia" by Guy Hunter Watts
45 great coastal walks close to Andalucia's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. Discover the best hiking trails close to Vejer, Caños de Meca, Conil, Tarifa, Bolonia, Gibraltar, Casares, Estepona, Marbella, Istán, Mijas, Benalmádena, Alhaurín, Cómpeta, Fuengirola, Nerja, Maro and Almuñecar. Talk to most people about the coast of Andalucía and they’ll picture the small swathe of seaboard that runs from Torremolinos to Estepona, the heartland of what is commonly sold as the Costa del Sol. First associations are of crowded beaches, busy coastal roads and blocks of holiday apartments. Few amongst them will conjure up visions of the mighty chain of mountains, the tail end of the Sierra Subbética, which rises up a few kilometres back from the sea. Nor do they tend to evoke the wilder beaches of the Costa de la Luz or the footpaths that run just a few metres from the Atlantic surf.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Coastal Walks in Andalucia.
"The Andalucian coast to coast walk " by Guy Hunter Watts
A stunning 21 day, 435 kilometre trail that links the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. The walk passes through six of Andalucia's Natural Parks and protected areas via its most beautiful mountain villages. Far more than a long walk, this on-foot odyssey can lead you to the heart of southern Spain's magnificent sierras and on a life-changing journey of discovery. One of the best things about the simple act of walking is the sense of reconnecting with Nature and the Big Wide World. We've been moving around on two feet for a very long time yet still, in the simple act of putting one foot in front of the next and moving across landscape, it seems that we reassert our identity. Day to day worries fall into insignificance, or rather true significance, when we get out into the mountains and walking is about a lot more than taking exercise.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers The Andalucian Coast-to-coast Walk.
"Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema" by Guy Hunter Watts
The dramatically situated town of Ronda can make a great base for a walking holiday in the mountains of Andalucía, as can any one of the picturesque 'pueblos blancos' (white villages) that nestle among the surrounding hills. This guidebook presents 32 mainly circular walks in the Ronda region, covering the town and its environs, the Natural Parks of La Sierra de Grazalema and La Sierra de las Nieves (both UNESCO biosphere reserves), and the Genal and Guadiaro Valleys. Clear route description is illustrated with mapping, and the route summary table and 'at a glance' information boxes make it easy to choose the right walk.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema.
For more on walking the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama:
The Mountains of Nerja
Guidebook, by Jim Ryan, to the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama mountains in the Spanish region of Axarquía. The 24 day walks are accessible from the holiday towns of Nerja and Vélez-Málaga on the Costa del Sol. Routes range from easy strolls to strenuous climbs. The mountains are largely limestone, with some summits reaching over 2000m. Buy a copy online of The Mountains of Nerja