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Clear pools and waterfalls are the main attractionsof the beauty spot. J. A.
Barranco Blanco: a beauty spot created by the Alaminos river
TREASURES OF MALAGA

Barranco Blanco: a beauty spot created by the Alaminos river

Located in the municipality of Coín, this natural site popular with bathers in summer can be reached on foot

Javier Almellones

Friday, 22 September 2023, 13:14

Waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water. These are the main attractions of Barranco Blanco, located in the municipality of Coín, in the Guadalhorce valley. Here, as well as the many orchards and orange and lemon groves, nature lovers can enjoy impressive beauty spots such as this one.

This is the gift left behind by the Alaminos river just before it merges with the Río Fuengirola, which flows into the sea in the Costa del Sol resort of the same name.

WHAT TO VISIT

  • Barranco Blanco An area with waterfalls and pools of clear water in a stretch of the Alaminos, a tributary of the Río Fuengirola.

  • Close by Mirador del Cerro Alaminos, which has also been declared a "rincón singular" by the provincial authority.

  • Access Barranco Blanco can be reached on foot along a dirt track of more than two kilometres, with some shade. Vehicle access is prohibited.

  • Hiking: There is no official registered path in the area. A riverside walk is possible, but only a brief one, as the pools interrupt the path.

While officially in Coín, Barranco Blanco is located close to the boundaries with Alhaurín el Grande and Mijas. It is protected by the EU as a Site of Community Importance (SCI - known as an LIC in Spanish), as it is one of the spots in the west of Malaga province with an abundance of peridotite, a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock. This is combined with limestone, which has been eroded by the river over millennia creating scenes of great beauty, such as a waterfall - not currently at its best due to the drought and rockfalls.

As well as having significant environmental protection, Barranco Blanco has been given the status of "rincón singular" (literally unique corner) by the Diputación provincial authority of Malaga. Uncontrolled visits by bathers meant that vehicle access was restricted several years ago. Despite this ,there are often still complaints about rubbish not being cleared from this area of great geological and biological value. In 2012 it was in the headlines as being the starting point of the great fire that razed thousands of hectares behind the Costa del Sol. Both the flora and fauna were significantly affected by the fire.

Nevertheless valuable biological species can be found in the area, proof of the force of Mother Nature in the face of disaster. Close to the river, flora includes oleander, dwarf palms, heather, mastic and rosemary, among other plants.

In terms of fauna, sightings have been reported of otters, which feed on the fish that inhabit the river, such as chub. There is also a wide range of amphibians and insects, such as dragonfly and butterfly.

The beauty spot can be reached by taking the MA-3303, turning off some five kilometres from Alhaurín el Grande (heading towards Coín). Once on this track you reach a point where motor vehicles can go no further. From there it is a question of walking along a path that is shaded by pines for much of the way.

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