Alozaine
We enter the heart of the ** Sierra de las Nieves , In Malaga . We travel through its villages on a circular route that begins and ends in Tolox . Towns where the tradition is still valid and whose spectacular nature helps to understand why this region will soon be the sixteenth National Park in Spain.
Antony and Vicki they made a decision. They thought it was one more, one more step to move forward. But not. It was something else. His choice ultimately changed their lives. "Suddenly, you look at yourself and say: how did we get here?", They have illusion.
ran the year 2010 when they were looking for a farm to settle on. They found her on the outskirts of Tolox and as soon as they saw it they knew it was theirs. "It was instant," they stress.
Green I want you green
Eight years later, her life revolves around her and they are happy. It's been all this time restoring three houses. One for them and another two to accommodate whoever wants to rent them. Each has swimming pool, barbecue, the shade of a 500-year-old carob tree and a special charm.
They are called Green I love you green and they are located one step away from the riverbed of the Rio Grande, one of the many that fill the entire Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park with life, declared Biosphere Reserve.
"The best satisfaction is when customers say goodbye and say: see you next time. That they want to come back is amazing", Antony tells.
It is not surprising that they want to return to a place like theirs. In the heart of the region, this corner is perfect as a starting point to explore it. To get lost in its towns, walk trails, savor the tranquility, meet its people. In short, understand the reasons why the place will soon be declared a National Park.
"When we came we did not know the area, but it is an incredible place" explains Antonio, who never gets bored. When he is not transforming motorcycles in his workshop, together with his partner, he is devising denim garments, restoring some wooden bridge that gave way after the rains, or planning cultural activities.
Tolox
This couple and their daughter are the example of a region rooted in tradition but that has been able to find ways to look to the future with our heads held high.
"He was one of the people who helped me the most to start La Lola", says José María Sánchez, who in June 2017 he opened this restaurant in Tolox whose name honors his wife, Lola Aguilar.
This young man from Tolox opted for a different place, away from the classic rural sales. He found an old television studio in the highest part of town and with the help of his neighbors he reformed it.
Industrial style, a nice fireplace, white floors and high ceilings mark the dining room, where some huge windows They help you feel the nature around you. Their large terrace It also offers a beautiful panoramic view of the area and the Alfaguara river canyon, right on the border of the future National Park.
A kitchen separated only by glass helps to see the passion with which José María and his team prepare each dish while Amy Winehouse sets the musical note in the dining room.
Land and sea salad from La Lola
The local products They are the stars of their stoves: pork knuckle with rosemary, goat shoulder or grilled vegetables with oak wood . Also the land and sea salad, warm, based on mesclum, courgette, aubergine, orange, red pepper and prawns. The oil is obtained from Alorean olives from their own olive trees. And from their vineyards they already plan make a wine for the next season.
"It was a risky bet, but we are very happy with the result," summarizes the owner and chef, who lives with his family in a beautiful house in the castle district , in the heart of Tolox. Over there, tiny alleys and even a passageway connect their low houses.
Nearby is the town square, with the San Roque flamenco club, El Pescaíto Dorado or La Calzada bar willing to offer a cool drink and a tapa of offal, lean meat with tomato, Iberian secret and Malaga salad.
wandering around they discover nice graffiti , colorful snails that stand out against white facades and a life that takes place at a different pace.
It is the same feeling that a nearby town, Alozaina, transmits. It is accessed through a roundabout and the main street of it ends in an arch that it is better to cross on foot and, from there, start a nice walk. An old wall, a church and a castle converted into a park with beautiful views are some of its attractions.
Graffiti in the streets of Tolox
It is worth resting for a while bar New _(calvario street, 20) _, where the smurf with loin in butter resurrects anyone. And for lunch or dinner, Alberto offers from the bar shellfish, fried fish, Russian salad or a tapa of snails.
Next to the bar it is usual to see brave people who dare to travel on two wheels some roads that never give away a flat. There is little traffic and everything goes up or down, so you are tracks are common on cycle routes. They are also a focus of attraction for motorcycle lovers.
One of them goes down Casarabonela : a pretty town known here as Bonela , crowned by ruins of the Arab castle Qasr Bunayra , from the 9th century, whose walls and towers today act as a viewpoint.
To climb up to it you have to take it easy: the slopes are part of the intricate urbanism of Bonolense . The best option is to go step by step, enjoying the stops that the municipality offers. One can be the ** Los Mizos Mill ,** where olive oil and flour were traditionally obtained and today it houses a small collection of tools and utensils related to agricultural work. another can be its pretty fountains , like the one next to the Plaza de Casarabonela represents the taking of the town in some tiles. Sometimes you may meet some craftsman working natural materials such as esparto, enea, pitas or hearts of palm.
Alozaina wall
Color predominates throughout the town, thanks to dandelions that conquer any crack, geraniums that illuminate windows and dozens of pots that decorate the whitewashed facades. Next to the church of Santiago Apóstol there are also some cacti.
Its decorative function is complemented by that of a reminder: it is time to visit the ** Mora i Bravard Botanical Garden **, with 8,000 square meters. It is on the outskirts and offers a tour of more than 10,000 plants of some 2,500 different species of cacti and succulents.
The walk makes it possible to understand that cacti are more than just spikes while walking alongside vegetation from most desert areas of the planet : from the Atacama to the Sahara, passing through North America, the Galapagos Islands or Madagascar. Agaves, euphorbias, aloes and many other varieties make up a unique and different visit for a project that opened to the public in 2011.
"It was born as the idea of Joan Mora and Edwige Bravard, who tried to start the project on their land, Mallorca, but the weather did not allow it. And here they found the right conditions," says Tania Muñoz, manager of the garden. The facilities have an assembly hall, scientific laboratory, gardens and a restaurant with a great panoramic view of Casarabonela.
A walk through a cactus garden
To the north, a road winds through mountains until it reaches The Burg , a town that sits halfway between the Sierra de las Nieves and the Serranía de Ronda. The turon river is the artery that has always given life to its inhabitants, which have grown vegetables, cereals and fruit trees on terraces along the riverbank.
The beautiful natural space that surrounds it can also be enjoyed thanks to trails such as the one that reaches the Fuensanta Recreational Area , where an old flour mill mixes with poplars, oleanders and the riverbank vegetation that grows along the area's streams. There, the hostel La Rejertilla offers lodging and its equipment, the practice of adventure sports, environmental education and sustainable tourism.
Nearby is the Cortijo Capellanía, a beautiful rural accommodation which has three luxurious houses and space for 18 people on a 200-hectare estate.
Further south, you reach anvil . The textile industry had great weight in this town until not long ago, but today it has practically disappeared, so agriculture continues to be its main livelihood, with a growing role of tourism. There are plenty of arguments for it, although two elements are the main attractions of the town: gastronomy and its nature.
A walk among firs
From the first they show their little bars, but also restaurants like Enara _(Avenida Sierra de las Nieves, 9) _, with a nice lounge, fireplace and a menu full of delicious proposals; o La cocina del Zarcillos _ (Avenida Sierra de las Nieves, 30) _, which opened in 2013 thanks to the initiative of Francisco José Romero and his partner.
"The vast majority of products we use are from the area" , they explain, listing among them cheeses, eggs, chestnuts, vegetables or meats. The holm oak firewood embers are another of the strengths of this place, where Entrecôte, entrails or lamb. Also croquettes, goat stew and the occasional nod to international cuisine such as thai rolls
Of the nature that surrounds Yunquera, its great Spanish fir , a forest made up of prehistoric fir trees that today They can only be found in the mountains of Malaga and Cadiz.
Getting to them is easy thanks to the track that goes up to Puerto Saucillo, which can be reached by car. From there starts a network of hiking trails that allows take short walks among trees from another era, approach singular corners such as The Water Cave or dare to great hikes that reach the Rock of the Lovers or even El Torrecilla, the second highest peak in Malaga. Cañadas, snowfields and a constantly changing landscape increase its natural charm.
Jorox
Near Yunquera is the Jorox village, where there are a few houses, a homemade restaurant called El Rivita and a beautiful waterfall Very popular among those who come to the Sierra de las Nieves to practice sports such as canyoning.
"This is a perfect region for it, because there are numerous ravines, but also caves, via ferrata... And there are possibilities for all audiences, both beginners as great experts ", says Elena González, who in 2011 started the company Aventúrate. She knows the territory inch by inch. And she assures that one of the most spectacular areas is in her town, Tolox , which is also marked by its rich natural environment and with a multitude of paths that invite you to put on your boots and let yourself go.
"One of the most spectacular areas is the one that reaches the Charco de la Virgen and the waterfall of La Rejía" says Elena. In fact, this waterfall is around fifty meters, a figure that makes it in the highest of all Malaga. A unique place that offers a greater show in spring when winter is rainy. In addition, the path winds for a good part of the route along the Caballos River, which has different pools in which to take a refreshing swim when the heat hits.
Charco de la Virgen Waterfall
The trail is circular and begins and ends next to the Tolox Spa. Born in the middle of the 19th century, different generations have gone to take care of his health. Today it is run by the third generation of a family that has always been linked to this building. Open from May to October and has of different rooms to do specialized respiratory therapies thanks to the gases that emanate from the waters of the river that passes just below. It also has 36 rooms and nine apartments, which are rented for weekends or fortnights depending on the season. And that they are, also, an excellent place to relax and unwind.
To regain strength from the road, Tolox also has a very peculiar restaurant. Is named The swimming pool _(Calle Dr. Jimenez Encina, 53) _ and on its huge terrace there are pennants that seem to say that every day there is a party. It is when you try their menu, always based on tradition: **gazpachuelo and spoon dishes** for winter; porra antequerana and fried fish for the summer.
And to finish, nothing better than resting at the Cerro de Híjar hotel, about three kilometers from Tolox. It opened during Holy Week in 2001 and today it is already a reference in this secluded corner of Malaga where silence reigns. It has 18 rooms, a sauna and an outdoor Jacuzzi where to live unique experiences, like bathing while it snows. Its spectacular views over much of the Guadalhorce Valley , the tranquility and its careful facilities "help to have the ideal rest to regain strength", as one of its managers, Eugenio Llanos, tells us. Because watch out, there is still Sierra de las Nieves to discover in municipalities like Guaro, Ojén or Istán.
Stay in Tolox