Visit the Torcal de Antequera

We will find the beginning of the route in the upper car park, below the Astronomical Observatory in Llano de los Polvillares. It is a 1.5 kilometer circular route where we can learn about the morphology of El Torcal de Antequera, we will contemplate figures such as the Hoyo de la Burra, the Collado de la Tortuga, the Platform of the Boat, or the Platform of the Plate or the Watchman.

This route, barely 3 km long, is circular and of little difficulty. The path starts from the car park and ends at the Visitor Center. On this tour you will be able to enjoy aerial and panoramic views, and once we cross the green route, we will enter the shady corridors and alleys, more humid areas and dense vegetation. You will find a great variety of figures such as the Camel, the Flowerpot, the Hand, the Bottle or the Seven Tables. Undoubtedly, a route to get to know El Torcal de Antequera in depth.

The orange route or also called the Torcal Alto Route is a 3.7 linear kilometer route, starting and ending in the two car parks. We begin in the lower parking lot, where a path has been adapted that allows us to walk up to Torcal Alto, going through old quarries and pasture areas. From there we will ascend to the Manuel Grajales Viewpoint and the Majada del Fraile. The ascent continues to the Tinajuela Pass that leads to the Tosaires Gorge, ending at the Tornillo Natural Monument. From here, the route begins a descent to end at the upper car park.

The well-known “Ruta de los Ammonites” is a circular path of about 4 km that is unmarked and runs along part of the old red route closed to the public, so it is mandatory to follow it with a guide. Access to the area is restricted and a special permit is needed, so to visit it you will have to make a prior reservation here.

The Route of the Ammonites is a path with a stony and irregular path, of medium-low difficulty and approximately 3 hours long.

The most impressive of this route are: The panoramic views of the four cardinal points, Antequera to the north, the coast to the south, Sierra Nevada to the east and the Karstic labyrinth to the west; the multiple traces of marine fossils from the Jurassic period, hence its name; and the peculiar forms of limestone rock, an amazing Karstic landscape. Likewise, the visits are very didactic as they are guided by professional monitors, you will learn the most characteristic of this area: geology, flora, fauna and the history of man in El Torcal de Antequera.

El Torcal de Antequera preserves an area with rich and varied flora. The richness in botanical species is considerable and the most important plant communities within the area are the rupicolous ones, adapted to the fissures and crevices of the rocks.

We can also find holm oaks, gall oaks, rowans or maples in El Torcal. Thorns and brambles usually cover a large part of the Torcal Alto area, with honeysuckle, shrubs and plants from the forest border. One species to highlight is the ivy, which combines with the rock, giving shape to images of great beauty, with some truly spectacular specimens.

As you can see, the great botanical wealth of Torcal de Antequera contains rare or threatened plants, so we ask for your collaboration so that they do not disappear; try not to harm the plants, do not pluck their flowers, since these are generally the only ones that guarantee the reproduction of the plants that produce them.