A Self Guided Tour of the Sierra de las Nieves

Olive groves, orange orchards, vineyards and wild forest are all surrounded by towering Limestone Mountains in the southern province of Malaga. Only an hour inland from the Costa del Sol, this is a world apart from the high-rise blocks and casinos of the coastal strip.

Day 1

Transfer to the pretty white village of El Burgo.

Day 2

Walk to Casarabonela. Olive groves, arable fields and ruined cortijos. Skirt the lower slopes of the limestone peaks and follow the remains of a Roman road into your next white village.

• 4 hours 30 minutes.

Day 3

Continue to Alozaina. Today the views open up as you climb the folds of Sierra Prieta. Well crafted paths zig zag gradually takes you through pines and Mediterranean aromatic scrub, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Sierra Nevada.

• 5 hours.

Day 4

Onto Yunquera. A complete change of terrain and climate as the tracks link river valleys dotted with citrus orchards.

• 4 hours.

Day 5

Complete the circle back to El Burgo. Enter the Nature Park of Sierra de las Nieves with its vast forest of cones and endemic Spanish Fir. A day of wild terrain, limestone pinnacles and tantalising glimpses of a former monastery.

• 5 hours.

Day 6

Optional linear walk to Ronda (7 hours) or circular walk (3 hours) and transfer to Ronda. If you are still full of energy then the walk to Ronda is one of the most rewarding of the week. Shadowing the river Turon, the route heads upstream and over a pass skirting a ruined Moorish watchtower. A gentle prolonged descent to Ronda through evergreen oaks rough scrub on good track is often rewarded with sightings of deer, vultures and eagles.

• 7 hours.

Day 7

Discover Ronda with option of half day walk in surrounding countryside. The old town of Ronda is a charming mix of curling streets, minarets and grand medieval houses, a cultural mix reflecting times when Moors, Jews and Christians all lived together.

Day 8

Transfer to Malaga airport.

Comfortable hotels, inns and village houses all in picturesque village settings with en suite facilities.