Itinerary
The way that goes along the bottom of various hills of the Central Mountains of Arco Calizo in Málaga connects the passage Colmenar-Periana and Alfarnate-Alfarnatejo hollow. The mountain range embraces a wide range of plant life, such as oleanders, poplars, elm trees, holm and gall oaks.
The route begins in the municipality of Riogordo up to the 8.8km mark, although two kms of this are through Colmenar, one of which at the source of La Santa stream and the other on the edge of the plains. It passes through Alfarnatejo for 4.7 kilometres, including the village itself, and then through Alfarnate from 13.5km in until the end.
Summary
This route follows a large arc clockwise between Riogordo and Alfarnate, mostly in a northerly direction, but also partly north-west and above all north-east.
The first part is through the small valley of Las Zorreras stream and the headwaters of the La Santa stream, close to El Bujeo and La Solana. The route then passes through the area of Auta and El Borbollón, climbing continunously through a densely forested landscape close to the towering rock faces. The third and the final sections run across the Llanos de Alfarnatejo and a mountain range, respectively, found between this village and Alfarnate, well-known as Malinfierno.
The Colmenar-Periana Corredor is an enormously interesting site from a geological perspective, due to a large diversity of rocks, among which clay and siliceous sandstones stand out. This is the setting for the two streams at the beginning and Las Cuevas stream (with the source of the Borbollón), which flow into the river Benamargosa. The plains and the limestone mountain range make up the catchment area of the river Sabar, which flows into the reservoir of La Vińuela.
The large rock faces of Dońa Ana and Gomer, with their jagged profiles and El Fraile, which closes off the area to the north, are quite exceptional. There are also mature Holm oak forests with Gall oaks and Turpentines. The Navas de Alfarnate and Alfarnatejo are flat cultivated areas between high mountain ranges at an average altitude of around 850 metres, with the two villages on its south-eastern flank. The altitude, the isolation provided by the amphitheatre of mountains and a very special climate give the whole area a mountain atmosphere in sharp contrast to the nearby Axarquia coast.
The best
Few Tajos or Gorges have such a mountainous image as Gomer, the star of the day, three of whose four flanks you can admire perfectly from the road. And don´t miss Dońa Ana, the Sierra de Sabar preceding it or the Tajo del Fraile which closes the set of Tajos from the north. The Sabar and Borbollón rivers are noteworthy, intersecting at the spot where they both carry enough water.
You will even pass through the source of the second river in the area of the farmhouse itself, a supposed Omar Ibn Hafsum birth place, and, in any case, a historical setting. The Valle del Arroyo de la Cueva leads to an excellent oak forest with Holm oaks accompanied at the mountain pass by numerous examples of cornicabra, the Terebinth Tree.
The flat valley from Alfarnate and Alfarnatejo is a cultivated plain between the mountain ranges of the Jobo and San Jorge to the north, and the Tajos and the Sierra de Enmedio in the south. It is at an altitude of 850 meters on average and is home to the villages of Alfarnate (with its famous Venta restaurant) and Alfarnatejo. The altitude, climate and isolation that are provided by the amphitheatre of mountains conjure up a serrano ambiance that makes you forget that you are a few kilometres away from the Costa del Sol.
