Coastal Walks in Andalucia

The best hiking trails close to Andalucía's Mediterranean and Atlantic Coastlines

By Guy Hunter-Watts

ISBN

9781852848033

Availability

Published

2 Aug 2016

Reprinted

6 Oct 2022

Edition

First

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm

Weight

300g

Delivery & Returns

Free 1st Class postage on UK orders. European postage is £3 per item. Worldwide postage is £5 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...

Over 40 half and full-day walks along Andalucia's Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. The guidebook features the best of the Subbetica range, nearly all walks falling within Natural Parks and Reserves, from Vejer to Tarifa on the Atlantic and from Estepona, Marbella and Mijas to Nerja and Almunecar on the Mediterranean. Year-round walking.

Seasons

The coastal belt of Andalucía enjoys mild weather in winter, spring and autumn, while even in mid summer walks can be enjoyable thanks to the cooling influence of the Mediterranean Sea.

Centres

The area covered by this guide stretches from Vejer to Tarifa on the Atlantic Coast, and from Estepona past Marbella and Mijas to Nerja and Almuñecar on the Mediterranean.

Difficulty

Walks are graded as: easy, easy/medium, medium or medium/difficult. Several of the walks involve some steep ascents and descents but the routes have been chosen so that all are within the capabilities of anybody in good health who walks on a regular basis. The guide contains a mixture of half-day and full day walks.

Must See

A few hundred metres from the beaches of Andalucía's southern seaboard, the mountains of the mighty Subbetica range offer some of the finest walking in southern Europe. Mainland Spain's highest peaks, some rising to almost 4000m, are cut through by deep gorges while a series of high villages facing south to the Mediterranean serve as perfect walking bases.

ISBN

9781852848033

Availability

Published

2 Aug 2016

Reprinted

6 Oct 2022

Edition

First

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm

Weight

300g

Overview

A guidebook to 40 half and full day coastal walks in Andalucía. The graded routes, which are suitable for any reasonably fit walker, range from 6km to 19.5km and can be walked all year round. The walks are located in seven of the region's most beautiful National Parks and protected areas (including La Breña y las Marismas, Los Alcornocales y del Estrecho, La Sierra de las Nieves and Níjar-Cabo de Gata) and are mostly circular in nature, negating the need for any logistical legwork.

Step-by-step route descriptions for each walk are accompanied by 1:50,000 mapping, together with information about points of interest en route. Also included is a useful glossary and route summary table, plus all the practical information needed to explore Andalucía's coast on foot - equipment, safety, when to go, refreshments, accommodation and more.

The picturesque coastline of Andalucía is a walker's dream. Sandwiched between mountain and sea, walkers are rewarded with both dazzling mountain vistas and stunning seascapes. The sense of history embedded in these ancient coastal byways - which dates back to ages past - is an added delight, making the walking all the richer.

Table of Contents

Map key

Overview map

Author’s preface

Introduction

Seven coastal regions

Plants and wildlife

Andalucía over the years

Getting there

When to go

Accommodation

Eating out in southern Spain

Language

Money

Communications

What to take

Maps

Staying safe

Using this guide

1 Costa de la Luz

Parque Natural de la Breña y las Marismas

Walk 1 Santa Lucía circuit

Walk 2 Las Marismas de Barbate circuit

Walk 3 Vejer de la Frontera southern circuit

Walk 4 Los Caños de Meca circuit

Walk 5 Cape Trafalgar to Conil via the Torre de Castilnovo

Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales y del Estrecho

Walk 6 Valdevaqueros circuit via Punta Paloma

Walk 7 Río de Guadalmesí circuit

Walk 8 El Pelayo circuit via the Torre de Guadalmesí

Walk 9 Río de la Miel circuit

Walk 10 Gibraltar circuit via Mediterranean Steps

2 Costa del Sol

Paraje Natural de Sierra Bermeja y Sierra Crestellina

Walk 11 Manilva circuit via the Utrera Gorge

Walk 12 Casares circuit via la Crestellina

Walk 13 Casares eastern circuit

Walk 14 Casares circuit via La Acedía

Walk 15 Pico Reales circuit via El Pinsapar forest

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves

Walk 16 Istán circuit via the Infierno valley

Walk 17 Istán to the Río Verde and back

Walk 18 Istán reservoir circuit via the San Miguel chapel

Walk 19 Marbella circuit via Cruz de Juanar

Walk 20 Ascent of La Concha from Refugio de Juanar

Walk 21 Refugio de Juanar circuit via Los Cuchillos

La Sierra de Mijas

Walk 22 Mijas circuit via the Pico de Mijas

Walk 23 Mijas circuit via Puerto de Málaga

Walk 24 Alhaurín el Grande circuit

Walk 25 Alhaurín de la Torre western circuit

Walk 26 Alhaurín de la Torre southern circuit

Walk 27 Benalmádena circuit

3 Costa Tropical

Parque Natural de la Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama

Walk 28 Ascent of La Maroma from Canillas de Aceituno

Walk 29 Cómpeta circuit via Puerto Blanquillo

Walk 30 Frigiliana to El Fuerte and back

Walk 31 Frigiliana circuit via Cruz de Pinto

Walk 32 Nerja circuit via the Río Chillar

Walk 33 Maro to Frigiliana

Walk 34 La Herradura circuit via Cantarriján beach

4 Costa de Almería

Parque Natural de Níjar-Cabo de Gata

Walk 35 San José circuit via Monsul and Los Genoveses

Walk 36 Presillas Bajas to the Majada Redonda and back

Walk 37 Los Escullos circuit via San José

Walk 38 Rodalquilar circuit via Cortijo del Fraile

Walk 39 Las Negras circuit via El Playazo

Walk 40 Agua Amarga to Las Negras

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Accommodation

Appendix D Glossary

Appendix E Further reading

Updates

October 2018

Route updates

Walk 25 p169 amendment

Reads: Passing two green metal posts follow the track to the ruined Cortijo de Jarapalos arboretum where spring water is channelled down across its ancient terraces ..

Change to: Passing a signboard follow the track to the Cortijo de Jarapalos, currently being restored, and an arboretum where spring water is channelled down across its ancient terraces ..

Walk 35 : please note cannot be done at high tide.

Walk 32:

'We have recently heard that the path along beside the water channel leading back to the point of departure has been cut. So it would be better to make this a there-and-back walk and NOT climb out of the gorge. It still makes for a thrilling adventure as a linear walk'.

Reviews

Excellent walks with very clear guidance.

I recently used the "Coastal Walks in Andalucia" guide to walk all the routes in the Almeria section. Excellent walks with very clear guidance. Wonderful scenery and a profusion of Spring flowers in late Feb/early March.

Mike

Excellent guide, first class walks and very good directions.

Have just returned from Almeria where I walked all the Almeria section walks in the Andalucia Coastal Walks guide. Excellent guide, first class walks and very good directions.

Michael

Downloads

Coastal Walks in Andalucia - GPX File

Guy Hunter-Watts

Guy Hunter-Watts has lived and worked in Andalucía since the 1980s. After studying at the universities of Santiago and Salamanca he taught English in South America before moving to the Ronda mountains where he has been leading guided walks for almost 30 years. His work as a walking guide and freelance journalist has taken him to many corners of the planet including India, Namibia, Tanzania, Latin America and Mongolia.

View author profile