Torcal de Antequera, an awe-inspiring drive in southern Spain
Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve known for its unusual landforms and karst landscapes, located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. A road to the visitor’s center tops out at 1.226m (4,022ft) above the sea level.
The mountain road to Torcal Alto Visitor Center is completely paved but narrow. The access of private vehicles to the Nature Reserve is limited to the capacity of superior parking, located next to the “Visitor Center”. When it is complete, the access to private vehicles is closed. Therefore, to avoid this situation and as a measure of capacity control, a restriction is made on access to private vehicles on weekends, holidays and those days when a large influx of visitors is expected.
Tucked away in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range, it is one of the most visited places in province of Málaga. The center has an interpretive area, multipurpose room, guide service, observatory, souvenir shop, restaurant, toilets and parking.
Starting from Villanueva de la Concepción, the ascent to the Visitor Center is 9,1 km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 635 meters of elevation gain. The average gradient is 7% hitting a 14% through some of the ramps. Because of temperature extremes, most visitation occurs in the spring and fall. The weather is usually extreme. In winters, intense cold, rain and fog are common. In summers, however, it is usually suffocating (with very hot days).
Road suggested by: jorge manuel gómez sánchez