The Torcal de Antequera area is one of the best-kept secrets in the national territory of Spain. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is one of the most spectacular natural settings in Europe.
Located in the municipalities of Antequera and Villanueva, in La Concepción in the province of Malaga, this natural area is one of those that has positioned itself among the favourites of travellers who are committed to rural tourism, and who decide to get away from the big cities and crowded coastlines.
Before reviewing its main attractions, it is important to remember that we are talking about a protected natural space within the RENPA ( Red de Espacios Naturales Protegidos de Andalucía) therefore, those who are passing through must comply with certain mandatory regulations, which are designed precisely to preserve the practically virgin environment.
That being said, the best thing about Torcal de Antequera is its many trails, most of which lead to incredible viewpoints; without forgetting the Torcal Alto Visitor Center, the meeting point for travellers, and the place where the basic services of this area are offered.
There are several ways to enjoy this area, either through a free visit or by hiring a guided tour, in which an expert guides the group through the essential points that must be seen in the area, which makes sense for all first-time visitors.
Additionally, there are other activities, such as astronomical observations, summer night events, and excursion plans suitable and recommended for the whole family. To discover more visit:
http://www.torcaldeantequera.com/
At more than 1,200 meters above sea level, the Torcal de Antequera also requires that we take certain precautions before embarking on the getaway, such as buying or renting mountain clothing, especially boots, coats and backpacks to be well prepared.
With no opening or closing hours, it is always advisable to take the mountain road as soon as the sun rises to make the most of the day. Among its marked trails, which are three, there are two that have been adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Undoubtedly, the El Torcal Natural Park is characterized by the impressive Karstic landscape.
Its formation is due to a process that has lasted several hundred million years. To understand this we must go back some 200 million years, when much of Europe and the Middle East were submerged under the Tethys Sea, a process of carbonate sedimentation begins, caused by the accumulation and deposit of skeletons, shells and shells of marine animals at the bottom of the sea that will last about 175 million years. These sediments have been accumulating and compacting at different levels, forming horizontal strata thousands of meters thick.
Towards the middle Miocene, as a consequence of the thrust between the Iberian plates to the north of the Tethys Sea and the African plate to the south, the accumulated sediments are compressed, deformed and fractured until they emerge in a slow and continuous process that is still ongoing. Once the relief emerged, the prolonged action of meteorological agents such as water, ice and wind on the limestone, modelled the spectacular karstic landscape of El Torcal de Antequera.
The geological structure of the El Torcal Natural Park is another aspect that has favoured the process of limestone dissolution. A large mushroom-shaped fold, with a very wide upper part and horizontal strata, and short, abrupt flanks, limited by important fractures, favours the accumulation of water on the surface and its infiltration. The karst behaves like a large sponge, it stores rainwater and transmits it to the interior, thus favouring underground dissolution, to finally evacuate it back to the outside through its lowest part, along the entire perimeter. The most important spring in The Torch is the Nacimiento de La Villa, located on the north face.
Apart from the karstic landscape that we can all appreciate with a simple glance, we have to take into account the characteristic endokarstic system in this type of terrain and that in El Torcal translates into more than a thousand potholes and caves formed by the dissolution of limestone.