A short but intense climb to a hermitage in a 'pueblo blanco' of the Serranía de Ronda

This is a linear route that starts in the centre of Montejaque in Malaga province's Serranía de Ronda and leads to one of the most iconic, local beauty spots, where La Escarihuela hermitage is located.

Area: Serranía de Ronda

Municipality: Montejaque

Difficulty level: Low. Despite having to face an elevation gain of nearly 100 metres at its hardest point, generally speaking the route is not very demanding and is easy to follow.

Trail format: Linear

Approximate duration: 50 minutes (one way)

Length: 2.35 kilometres (one way)

Minimum altitude: 658 metres

Maximum altitude: 748 metres

Nearby places of interest: The Nazarí quarter of Montejaque, church of Santiago, Karst viewpoint, Fuente Nueva (fountain), the old Fuente Vieja wash-house, Speleology interpretation centre, La Escarihuela hermitage, La Cruz del Milagro chapel, Cueva del Hundidero (easy access cavern), Los Caballeros dam, La Puente (a bridge, the site of a famous battleground from 1810 that the village celebrates annually with a historical reenactment) and the Llanos de Líbar mountain plateau.

To follow this trail, go to the village of Montejaque near Ronda. Specifically, head to the historic centre, where you will find both the town hall and the church of Santiago in a square with a fountain. Try to park your vehicle in the nearby streets below this square.

1The starting point is symbolically marked by the church of Santiago, which connects, via this popular footpath, with two other religious landmarks in Montejaque, the hermitage of La Escarihuela and the chapel of La Cruz del Milagro. From the square where you can see the tower of the main church, take Avenida de Andalucía to leave the historic centre and then the village itself. After passing by the Nueva (technically, the 'new' fountain) and Vieja fountains (the old wash-house), you will come to Avenida de Knittlingen (the MA-8402 road).

2After approximately one kilometre from the starting point, the path connects with the Grazalema track, which you must follow, crossing the MA-8402 road with care. This will take you to the track that leads to La Escarihuela hermitage. Before that, you will pass by Montejaque's municipal cemetery.

3 From the entrance to the cemetery, the cobbled path leading to the chapel is clearly visible. This zigzag path serves to soften the steep climb and provides various panoramic views of Montejaque and the surrounding area. The gradient from the cemetery to the chapel's antechamber is approximately 80 metres (in just under half a kilometre). It is advisable to take this gradient into account and go steady, according to your fitness level.

4This leads to the hermitage of La Escarihuela, which is very popular with the people of Montejaque and other surrounding villages. The Virgen de la Escarihuela, the local name by which the people of Montejaque know the Virgen de la Concepción, is worshipped there. According to what's been told over the years, the image of this particular Virgin Mary, to which several miracles have been attributed, was requested by the people of Ronda, as the town was suffering from a plague of epidemic proportions, most likely in the 17th century. A group of people from Montejaque tried carrying it to Ronda but, as they drew away from the village, they noticed the image becoming increasingly heavier. Eventually, at a certain point, it became impossible to continue. The chapel named La Cruz del Milagro ('the miraculous Cross'), located some 400 metres from the hermitage, was then built on this particular spot.

5Therefore, to reach the chapel of La Cruz del Milagro, you only have to walk a little less than half a kilometre on a practically flat path. Afterwards, you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area. You can retrace your steps from there back to the village or continue along the same footpath that leads to the town of Ronda.

Griffon vultures, some other large birds of prey and various types of corvids are frequently seen flying over this limestone (karst) enclave that is Montejaque. Wild goats also take advantage of these steep mountains, surprising visitors with their almost vertical runs in the steepest places surrounding the area known as La Escarihuela.