that flows through the town is the Rio Chillar, which is pronounced Chiyar, because two ‘l’s are pronounced as a ‘y’ in Spanish.
In Andalucía there is a tendency to drop all ‘s’s in the middle and endings of words. So to buy two beers (dos cervecas) the request would be ‘dos thervethas’ in Madrid. In Nerja, ‘doe cervaytha’ will be heard, or for three it will be ‘tray’. To ask how a person is one would say ‘como estas’ in Madrid, but in Nerja it would be ‘como ayta’, both of the ‘s’s having been dropped.
The Spanish pronounce all of their vowels individually (not as dipthongs, as native English-speakers do). So the unit of currency is an ‘ayuro’ and the mountain of El Fuerte is pronounced ‘El Fuuertay’.
Recurring place names
There is a degree of repetition in the names of geographical features. There is a Puerto Blanquillo and a Puerta Blanquilla; there are at least two Salto de Caballos, two El Fuerte mountains and a couple of Cerro Verdes; one set of peaks is known as Los Dos Hermanos (the two brothers), a col on Cisne is known as Collado de los Dos Hermanos, while another peak is called Las Dos Hermanas (the two sisters). To the north of the region there is the town of Arenas del Rey, while nearer the coast there is the village of Arenas. But as long as you know where you are, there should be no cause for confusion!
Red deer
Maps and GPS coordinates
Topografica publish the official National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN) 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps of the area laid out to the 1950 European UTM grid. These maps are relatively inexpensive to buy but are not widely available. The quality of paper is poor and all paths are not shown on them. For some of the walks more than one map will be required. They can be purchased direct at a shop in Malaga, or they can be purchased online (see Appendix E, ‘Maps of the region’). See Appendix C for a glossary of useful words for map reading.
The Axarquía Tour and Trail 1:40,000 published by Discovery Walking Guides is quite a clear map, but the October 2010 version has many little mistakes (for instance, Frigiliana and Canillas de Aceituno are misspelled, and there are a number of features that are out of place). Unfortunately the 2010 version is to an imperial grid.
A GPS is not essential for most of the walks. There is often not a great deal of point in giving waypoint coordinates. The key thing is to find the start of the walk and stick to the path. However, for walkers who prefer to carry a GPS device of some sort, some waypoints have been identified in the route descriptions at particularly critical navigational points. The GPS coordinates set out in the guide relate to the European Grid and are in metric. The coordinates given, for example 215:420760:4087650, are made up of height in metres: easting in metres and northing in metres.
Using this guide
The approach to Collado de Dos Hermanos on Cisne (Walk 24). The mark on the rock shows that there is only 100m of climbing left, but it is the most difficult 100 metres
Some summary information is provided at the start of each route description to help you select the right walk for you and your party. This includes the total distance, the total height gain, a rough estimate of the time a walk might take (allowing for reasonable rests and refreshment breaks), a difficulty rating and directions for getting to the start of the walk from the nearest town or village. Other options for your day in that particular area are also suggested in some cases. There is also a summary table in Appendix A to help you compare the different routes.
Route maps
The routes are marked onto 1:25,000 IGN base maps, except for detailed navigation through villages where street maps, with scales indicated, are provided. The main route line is marked in orange and variants are marked in blue. There are some inaccuracies in the base maps and so in some cases key features have been marked over the top in heavier black type with an arrow to pinpoint the correct location.
GPX files for all the routes described here are available for anyone who has bought this guide to download free from the Cicerone website. Just go to www.cicerone.co.uk/754/GPX. All the official Spanish mapping is also now available to buy, by map tile, province or region, for use within the ViewRanger navigation app on tablets, phones and other devices.
Difficulty
The difficulty rating given for each route is on a scale of one to ten with the higher numbers reserved for long and strenuous walks. A route with a difficulty rating of 1 would be suitable for children and grandparents and where ordinary sports shoes would be appropriate, while one rated 10 should be reserved only for those who are very fit, in good walking boots and with all the essential gear for eventualities in the mountains, and, of course, the stamina for long and strenuous walking. The climb of Cisne poses particular risks that are set out in the notes for that walk.
All of the walks are suitable for regular hillwalkers.
What to take
A view down over Fornes (Walk 22)
During hot months in the mountains it is essential to bring an adequate quantity of water or other fluid. (‘Adequate’ will vary from person to person but 1–2 litres per person is a good rule of thumb when exerting yourself in a hot climate.) Water sources on the walks are generally poor to non-existent.
Wearing shorts will be appropriate on many of the easier walks, but for the more difficult walks through thick and spiky vegetation long trousers or leggings are required. This particularly applies to Walks 1, 5, 6 and 16, and the eastern section of Walk 19.
You could encounter snakes on any of the walks in this book but it is highly unlikely. They will be more scared of you than you are of them and will keep well away if they can. However, it may be wise to wear gaiters in areas of thick vegetation. On the walk on El Cielo, in particular, ankle protection is recommended, because you will not be able to see the ground clearly on the first half of the walk.
False smooth snake
The routes in this book are not technical. The only walk for which roping up is recommended is the ascent of Cisne, at the point of the traverse on the eastern side of the summit.
Likewise, a GPS is not necessary for most of the walks in this book. However, you should take one if you are going to tackle the walks to Almendrón (Walk 6), Navachica (Walk 16), Malascamas (Walk 20) and Cisne (Walk 24).
NERJA AND AROUND
The approach to the gorges (Walk 4)
WALK 1
Frigiliana to the Cave of Nerja
| Start | Plaza Ingenio, Frigiliana |
| Finish | The Cave of Nerja |
| Distance | 15km (as far as the east side of Nerja); 18km including the extension to La Presa dam; 11km taking the shortcut to El Pinarillo |
| Difficulty | 3 |
| Time | 5½ hrs; 6hrs including the dam; 4½ hrs taking the shortcut |
| Height gain | 600m |
| Getting to the start |
The most practical way of getting to the start of this
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