El Torcal

[David Nicholson]

I don't suppose there is anything worse than being subjected to someone else's holiday snaps but here goes with just a few taken around El Torcal (and if you search the Forum on 'El Torcal' you will find others from Diane and Shelagh [no private hot tub for me Diane!])

El Torcal is part of a spectacular series of limestone formations covering about 12 square kilometers in the Paraje Natural Torcal de Antequera. Antequera (of which a little more later) is a small town some 40 kms north from Malaga roughly halfway between Malaga and Cordoba. Our visit was last week and the weather was still very hot and most vegetation was pretty crisped and brown so no flowers to show you but in Spring and early Summer and after the Autumn rains it must look really spectacular with over 600 plant species catalogued in the area including 20 species of orchid, lilies, roses, asphodels, peonies, saxifrage, linaria, gladiolus, and, of course, crocus. Our own visit was quite brief having spent much more time in Antequera than we had planned and it was not the easiest of places (in fact quite lethal!) to explore in flip-flops.

The town of Antequera I quite fell in love with. It's full of Roman, Islamic and Spanish architectural gems and is perhaps further away from the typical Andalucian coastal strip towns than any place I have been to in Spain so far. Just outside the town are some Dolmens (prehistoric burial chambers) which got an even more fleeting visit than did El Torcal. This usually the point I say to the Gaffer "I'm fond of ancient ruins aren't I dear"! There looks to be a good selection of hotels of all categories and prices in and around the town and I can recommend a good bar with a selection of tapas and a glass of local beer all for E2.50. I can't speak to highly of the town and what it offers, well worth a much longer visit than one day.

The few pics:-
1. looking up at El Torcal
2. a view
3. view from El Torcal over the small town of Villanueva de la Concepcion.
4. Me'n the Boss.

[Maggi Young]

Trust me David, as I sit here shivering  the prospect of some lovely sunny "holiday snaps" are just the ticket..... I would doubt if I'm alone in this.

[David Nicholson]

The car thermometer was showing 37C when we arrived at El Torcal but earlier in the car park in Antequera it had been in full sun all day and showed 45C. Found a use for the hat though-the one I bought to protect me from the Devon Summer!

[Tony Willis]

David if you fell in love with Antequera then try and go back at Easter. The religious parades are a sight to behold,believing or not is irrelevant,they are truly wonderful and the flowers at El Torqual will leave you speechless.

[Lvandelft]

David, I hope there are more pictures to come. I love sunny pictures this time of year
Seemingly you found a place to use your straw hat, at last....

[David Nicholson]

David if you fell in love with Antequera then try and go back at Easter. The religious parades are a sight to behold,believing or not is irrelevant,they are truly wonderful and the flowers at El Torqual will leave you speechless.

Tony, thanks for that I would love to. I must do a little research and planning.

[David Nicholson]

David, I hope there are more pictures to come. I love sunny pictures this time of year
Seemingly you found a place to use your straw hat, at last....

Luit, just for you.

1) A view across Antequera taken from the Moorish castle with, in the background the limestone crag called "Las Pena de los Enamorados" or "The Lover's Leap"
2) close up of "The Lover's Leap"-- legend has it that in an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl they were chased to the top of the cliffs by Moorish soldiers and rather than renounce their love they chose to jump from the crag!
3) another view over Antequera

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I hope this wasn't just for Luit, David.
I'm sure there's more of us that want to see more..

By the way, it's nice to see that at last you got dry, after your Devon Summer !
Great pix Sir, don't let this stop you from posting more !

[David Nicholson]

Glad you liked them too Luc but that's the lot I'm afraid, then it was back to the Costa del Sol. I'm already researching my return to Antequera

[Lvandelft]

I hope this wasn't just for Luit, David.

You are allowed to click on "my" pictures too Luc  , but only because you will need some sunny pics as well.....

Thank you David 

[cohan]

looks like a lovely spot-looking forward to seeing the spring trip