El Torcal de Antequera, Spain

El Torcal de Antequera is a Park Natural, approximately 17 square kilometres, in the municipality of Antequera, about 30 km north of Malaga. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and arguably has the best examples of karst limestone formation in Europe.

Origins

The impressive Karst landscape characterises the Natural Park of El Torcal. Its origins date back to the Jurrasic period, 250 and 150 million years ago. Limestone sediments accumulated at the bottom of the sea and were raised more than 1,000 meters above sea level by tectonic forces. Later, a series of fractures and erosion, including freeze-thaw cycles and acidic CO2 in the rainwater, formed the current karst landscape. Some of the formations are likened to simple forms, including the “screw”, the “hat”, the “cuddle”, the “prisms”, the “chalice”, and many more.

El Torcal walking routes

El Torcal is accessible by vehicle, the best access point being the Torcal Alto Visitor Center. The Natural Park has three trails for public use:

Orange Route – A 3.5 km route between the lower and upper car parks.
Yellow Route – Starting and ending at the Visitor Center, approximately 3 km in length through the Torcal Alto, with beautiful panoramic views.
Green Route – A shortcut version of the yellow route, approximately 1.5 km long.
Red Route – The longest and most difficult. At 4,5 km, this is the longest and most challenging route, taking about three hours. The route includes a viewing point at an elevation of 1,339 m, from where you can see the whole of El Torcal Park and the Africa Coastline.

Guided tours are also possible by arrangement from the visitor centre.

El Torcal de Antequera photographs

During my walk, I took digital colour photos and Black & White film photos, arranged in separate galleries below. The photos are mainly from the yellow route, shot in the middle of the day.