Up Close and Personal with Marbella’s La Concha Mountain

It’s impossible to miss for it provides a rather imposing background to the Costa del Sol’s most famous resort Marbella. La Concha means “the shell” in Spanish and at an impressive 1,200 meters above sea level La Concha is the highest peak in and around Marbella. Sporting a distinct shell shape, La Concha sits on the southernmost tip of the Sierra Blanca mountain range, which forms an extension of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park.

Buying a holiday or permanent home in this part of Marbella comes at a price – a steep one, for townhouses, apartments and villas in the Sierra Blanca urbanization not only boast some of the finest views anywhere along the Costa del Sol, they are also built to a high spec and with discerning buyers in mind.  Here a family home with swimming pool and mountain views, 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms costs at least EUR 1.9 million.

Only slightly cheaper, 3-bedroomed townhouses with 3 bathrooms and La Concha views cost around EUR 1.4 million. To get a first foothold into one of Marbella’s most exclusive and luxurious urbanization, buyers should look out for 2-bed second-hand apartments that are currently coming onto the market with reduced asking prices of around EUR 600,000 (down from EUR 750,000).
 
Doorstep Nature Trails

The gorgeous Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park is an often overlooked family attraction right outside Marbella, offering hikers, natural history enthusiasts, mountain bikers and climbers a fantastic day trip destination right on their doorstep.  And for those with a holiday home located in Sierra Blanca’s exclusive neighbourhood there are two handy routes up to La Concha’s peak.

The first and slightly shorter route up La Concha Mountain starts at Istan. This trail is more challenging, as rather steep and demanding in places. The second route begins at El Refugio de Juanar and is more suited for families and people less experienced in mountain walking or cycling.

Although La Concha’s peak reaches just 1,200 meters, it provides mountaineers and mountain bikers, hikers and climbers with a plethora of challenges. From vertical walls, exposed ridges and a rock-strewn summit to steep demanding trail and gentler pine forest walks.

Every Day a new Challenge

With the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park so close by, there are many fantastic opportunities to experience an outdoor life style and activity-based holiday. The tallest peak of the park is the Torrecilla Mountain which rises 1,119 meters above sea level, but there are several other mountains with a respectable 1,400 meters that offer less experienced mountain walkers and climbers the chance to get acquainted with the terrain before tackling more challenging routes. One of the most challenging landmarks is the GESM abyss, a gorge that plunges 1,074 meters into the bowels of the earth. Here fans of abseiling and climbing come into their own.

The Natural Park can be entered from several points near Marbella. Marbella holiday home owners can enjoy exploring different trails every day of the week.

Ranking as perhaps the easiest route into the Park, the San Pedro to Ronda Road (km 136 on A-376 route) entrance provides newcomers with a good first impression and a gentle introduction. Follow the route about 3km into the park, turning into the track opening on the left hand side towards La Fuenfria. Following the riverbed of the Aroyo de Fuenfria, the trail leads through picturesque sunbathed valleys and is commonly known by walkers as the Via Pecuria Cordel de Ronda. In days gone by this was the original Marbella to Ronda route.
 
An equally pleasant and easy route into the Natural Park starts from the turn-off to Igualeja and Cartajima and takes walkers to the source of the Guadalevin River which traverses the gorge in Ronda. Follow the footpath in a north-easterly direction and pass the Sierra del Oreganal to arrive at Rincon de Malillo and the Bronze Age hill fort at Los Castillejos.

Marbella, despite the glitz and glamour, offers people with a keen interest in leading on outdoor life many fantastic day trip destinations to fulfil their dream – so why not start viewing Marbella properties while prices are still low?