Spring plans that you can't miss in Malaga: routes, villages and places to eat

Spring is the best time to discover Malaga beyond the coast: hiking routes with flowing water, charming villages and restaurants where you can end the day with a good value-for-money meal. In the province there are combinations that work without fail, one-day plans that allow you to start walking, continue wandering the streets and finish at the table without long journeys. From the Serranía de Ronda to the Axarquía or the Sierra de las Nieves, these six proposals bring together three key elements that never fail: an accessible trail, a village with its own identity and a place to eat well after the route.

Starting the day in Alpandeire with the Sendero de los Huertos is almost a declaration of intent: a short, circular route (just 3.8 kilometres and about an hour and a half) that allows you to immerse yourself unhurriedly in the traditional agricultural landscape of the Genal Valley, among irrigation ditches, ponds, small fruit trees and the remains of old mills where water marks the rhythm of the route.

The route starts in the village itself, next to what is known as the 'cathedral of the Serranía', and returns to the same point, which makes it easy to link directly with a walk through this small but surprising village, the birthplace of Fray Leopoldo, where there is no lack of curiosities such as the mummies preserved in the church, the 'wall of the French' erected against the Napoleonic troops or the disproportionate parish church that dominates the village centre.

After the walk, the plan can be completed without much effort at La Casa Grande, a restaurant located in old stables with a cosy atmosphere, where the cuisine is based on local produce, along with baked and charcoal-grilled meats - from Iberian pork to suckling goat or lamb - and stews that vary according to the season, all accompanied by wines from the Serranía de Ronda.

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Sendero de los Huertos

Alpandeire

La Casa Grande de Alpandeire

In Canillas de Aceituno the plan starts directly from the village itself with one of those short but intense routes that condense the best of the most mountainous Axarquia: the path to the Cueva de la Fájara, a linear route of just 2.1 kilometres (about 50 minutes one way) that descends along stage eight of the Gran Senda de Málaga to the source of the river Bermuza. The path, through pine woods and limestone sections, becomes more interesting in its final stretch, where extreme caution must be exercised before reaching this unique cavity where, after heavy rainfall, water can gush from the interior. A more demanding alternative would be the one that leads to the spectacular Saltillo bridge, but ideal conditions are needed to tackle it.

In any case, after the walk, it is worth stopping in the town centre of Canillas, one of the province's great hiking destinations, perched on the slopes of Sierra Tejeda and overlooking the Mediterranean, where its Andalusian past - visible in its urban fabric or in buildings such as the Casa de los Diezmos - coexists with a powerful natural offer in its surroundings. The route is brought to a close by La Sociedad, a classic restaurant where the protagonist is the charcoal cooked suckling goat, which should be ordered in advance if you want to try the more traditional version, although you can also opt for other dishes such as goat with garlic or stews such as fennel stew.

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Sendero de la Cueva de la Fájara

Canillas de Aceituno

La Sociedad

In Tolox, the route starts in the area around the Fuente Amargosa spa with the Sendero de las Cascadas, a linear route of about 3.9 kilometres (about one hour and 45 minutes one way) that takes you into one of the most spectacular landscapes of the Sierra de las Nieves, especially in spring, when flowing water takes centre stage. The route, which has a circular version, can be shortened to a single track. In this case it would be of medium difficulty. It requires you to ford the Los Caballos river several times before reaching such striking spots as the Poza de la Virgen and, above all, the La Rejía waterfall, with a drop of more than 50 metres and considered the highest in the province.

After the effort, the return to the town centre invites you to lose yourself in Tolox, a village with a markedly Andalusian layout where you can still sense its past as a fortress in the Rinconada del Castillo, a labyrinth of narrow winding streets that preserves the remains of the walls, passageways and much of its historical essence. The plan is brought to a close by Enebro, a restaurant that combines tradition and modern cuisine with special attention to seasonal produce, where there is no shortage of local recipes such as 'sopa tolita' in spring, along with more creative proposals such as snail stew, croquettes with mint mayonnaise or dishes that look at Malaga's recipes from a fresh perspective such as its goat's cheese tart from the Sierra de las Nieves.

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Sendero de las Cascadas

Tolox

Enebro

In Casares, the route begins in its own territory, although very close to Manilva, in one of the most unique landscapes in the south of the peninsula. The Canuto de la Utrera route, a linear route of about 3.2 kilometres (about one and a quarter hours one way) that crosses what is considered to be the southernmost karst in Europe. Between limestone walls modelled over millions of years, the trail enters the so-called Canuto Grande, a spectacular valley that flows into the area around the Manilva River and the Baños de la Hedionda, a historical site linked to legends dating back to Roman times. After the walk, the visit involves taking the car and heading back to the village.

The historic quarter of Casares, one of the most outstanding in the province, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, where the white houses climb up to a castle of Arab origin from which both the Serranía and the Campo de Gibraltar can be seen. Strolling along its slopes allows you to understand its Andalusian past and discover corners full of character before closing the day at Villa 42 restuarant, a very different proposal from the usual: a private house converted into an intimate dining room where, with prior reservation, traditional menus are served with local products in a space carved into the rock, with just four tables and an almost clandestine atmosphere that turns the meal into a very personal experience.

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Canuto de la Utrera

Casares

Villa 42

In Casabermeja, the plan begins with one of those routes that rewards effort with views that are hard to match: the ascent to Cerro Mallén, a linear route of some 5.2 kilometres (about two and a quarter hours one way) that climbs from the vicinity of the La Huerta industrial estate to one of the great panoramic viewpoints of the province. As you gain altitude, the landscape opens up to a mosaic of mountain ranges - from Tejeda to Las Nieves and El Torcal - in a route with hardly any shade, which makes you take it easy. After the hike, the walk continues through the centre of Casabermeja, where landmarks such as the cemetery of San Sebastián - considered one of the most unique in Spain - and the church of Nuestra Señora del Socorro, which dominates the town's skyline, stand out.

From there, the visit can be extended to other sites in the municipality that require short journeys, such as the cave paintings of Peñas de Cabrera, the thousand-year-old olive tree of Arroyo Carnicero or the watchtower of Zambra, access to which even involves another hiking route. The plan is brought to a close by the restaurant La Huerta, one of the municipality's great gastronomic references, where traditional cuisine rules, with special emphasis on Malaga suckling goat - baked or with garlic - together with stews and hearty dishes linked to the local recipes. And, by the way, it is not a bad idea to take it into account as a starting point: there you can have breakfast before the route with its popular sandwich 'Juanito' , one of those classics that have become part of the gastronomic identity of the village itself.

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Subida a Cerro Mallén

Casabermeja

La Huerta

To round off this selection, there is a plan that multiplies the experience without the need for long journeys: the Ruta de los Molinos, a circular route of about seven kilometres (around two hours and 45 minutes) that links the towns of Árchez and Canillas de Albaida through the valley of the river Turvilla. The route, with its footbridges, irrigation channels and old watermills, allows you to pass from one village to the other almost without noticing it, making the day a double visit with a single starting point. In Canillas de Albaida, it is worth stopping at places such as the hermitage of Santa Ana, whose origins may be linked to an ancient Andalusian fortress, as well as its well-kept urban layout.

On the other side, Árchez displays one of the best examples of Mudejar architecture in the province with its 14th century minaret, a true symbol of the village, as well as a white farmhouse that preserves the essence of the most traditional Axarquía. To round off the day, the proposal focuses on Venta El Curro, on the outskirts of Árchez, where the grilled meats -especially the Argentinian-style roasts- become a gastronomic spectacle at the weekend. And, although this is the stop of choice, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that in Canillas de Albaida there are also other very good options which further reinforces the idea of this shared plan between two towns that practically touch each other.

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Ruta de los Molinos

Canillas de Albaida y Árchez

Venta El Curro