On the mountain roads inland from the Costa del Sol

Andalucía surprises many of its visitors with the diversity of its landscapes. Many are located inland and can be explored on foot or by car. The often winding roads lead up to fantastic viewpoints, historic places and idyllic settings. Consider yourself lucky if you’re not behind the wheel on this excursion and don’t have to miss out on any views. Especially in the spring and autumn months, day trips to the Serranía de Ronda, upper Axarquía or Sierra de las Nieves are an unforgettable experience.

One of the undoubtedly most spectacular mountain roads is the A-369 between Ronda and Algeciras. A detour into the Genal Valley is also worthwhile here. It soon becomes clear why this road has been named one of the most scenic panoramic routes in Andalucía. The section between the historic town of Ronda, which is rich in monuments, and the village of Gaucín alone offers numerous vantage points with the town itself and a number of interesting villages such as Atajate and Gaucín below. The landscape is constantly changing and is characterised by rugged areas in the Genal valley through to densely forested regions.

Another panoramic road runs in the Axarquía between Colmenar and Alfarnate. For around 20 kilometres, the A-4152 road winds its way towards the higher part of the Axarquía district. This mountainous landscape is rugged and jagged, but for this very reason it also offers views of the deep blue Mediterranean. Just how narrow and winding the route is can also be seen from the fact that there are no viewpoints here. So a picnic at the side of the road will have to wait.

The connecting road between Coín and Ronda, the A-366, is also not for the faint-hearted. Sixty kilometres long, there are many viewpoints and rest areas, and the views are constantly changing. Due to the bends, you should allow at least an hour and a half for the journey; if you have less time, you can shorten the route from Alozaina. The journey leads from the Río Grande via Alozaina to Jorox, where there is also a spectacular waterfall to admire if the area has had some rain. The route continues via villages such as Yunquera and El Burgo to Ronda. On the last stretch, a stop at the Mirador del Guarda Forestal viewpoint is a must: it is a beautiful balcony with a view of the Sierra de las Nieves, one of Andalucía’s national parks.

A fourth excursion option is the road from Carratraca to Álora, a historic link between these two towns that has long been talked about as an essential scenic route. On the A-7277 and A-7078 the winding road has natural viewpoints through the Sierra de Aguas. The landscape includes pine forests and peridotite rock, old mines and beautiful views. The two towns at the beginning and end of the 16-kilometre tour are also worth a visit.

The MA-3101 connecting road between the city of Malaga and Casabermeja should not be missed when travelling the scenic route in Malaga province. The road runs between the Agujero and Limonero reservoirs to Casabermeja and is full of bends. In fact the 25-kilometre section of the MA-3101 is said to have 365 bends, which, combined with the narrow road surface, is a challenge even for experienced drivers. More and more bikers and cyclists are discovering the road as their new favourite route. It’s not just the bends that are exciting, but also the steeply sloping or uphill sections through the mountain landscape of the Montes de Málaga.