TERRAIN
- Good solid paths – mostly concrete/tarmac
- Lots of slopes (LOTS). Some short, but some quite steep. Mostly DOWNHILL.
- Need good footwear.
- Waterproofs if raining (or if it has recently rained).
TIME TO COMPLETE
- Around 2 – 2.5 hours
- Depends on whether you want to take your time and explore the flora and fauna or stop for a drink on the way.
DISTANCE
- 8+ kilometres (5+ miles)
START: Mijas – Town Square
FINISH: Restaurante Montemare – https://www.restaurante-montemare.com/
(N.B.)
If you are doing this walk as a round trip from the restaurant (and not stopping in the town) you can take either of the routes TO Mijas but please turn left as you reach the BP petrol station and proceed downhill.
If, as I suggest you do, you take a little time to explore the town of Mijas before walking back down, make sure you have purchased water for your trip back.
BEGIN
Make your way back to the two roundabouts at the town entrance and set off down the main road to Fuengirola (A-387). You will pass through the B.P. garage that you saw on your way in. There is no footpath alongside this road, so please be very careful and walk as close to the road-barrier as you can (you will see that it is impossible to walk at the other side of the barrier because of the ravine). You follow this road for about 350 metres, at which point you will see a sign on the opposite side of the road for Las Lomas de Mijas (Arrabal Sector 47). ALSO see endnote …
Now cross the main road (please be careful as some vehicles are going at quite a pace just here) and take the centre road (it’s an obvious choice). You are now heading towards the Las Lomas de Mijas Urbanisation. And, it’s a lot quieter!
Keep on walking down the road until you reach another small roundabout. This is easily recognised, as it has an adult recreation ground just before it (like a mini-gym, but outside and free). Just beyond the roundabout, there is a small building that features a tiled map of the urbanisation (see above). Use this as your guide.
The roads are all named after famous artists and you start by walking along Calle Picasso. However, once you get to Calle Goya – you follow that road all the way to the bottom of the urbanisation. Once you pass the end of Calle Velázquez, follow Goya until it becomes a concrete track heading ever downhill.
You will now follow this concrete road (it is worse for wear in some parts) to the very bottom of the hill (approx. 2k). The road passes a quite unusual bar on the way. We’re told that on some days, they provide the most magnificent tapas, but the one time we have eaten there we just had Jamon y Queso (ham and cheese), which was fine. The beers are cold (Caña @ €1) and the interior very dark, the exterior pleasantly shaded. At weekends it is very busy, at other times, not so much.
At the bottom of the track you are faced with turning right and walking UP or turning left and walking DOWN and under the motorways. Turn left.
Follow this road now until you have passed under and over all of the carriageways. This is exactly where the A7 and AP7 split and you will walk underneath the junctions. You are now on the outskirts of Los Pacos.
Several routes are open to you from here:
- Follow the road you are on (Camino de la Cantera), don’t turn off, until you reach the crossroads with Avenida Los Pacos. You will have just passed a Bally Supermarket on your left. Now turn left and follow Avenida Los Pacos as far as the roundabout – at which point you go right (but not fully right) and UP Calle Chumbera. Follow Calle Chumbera to its end – almost 1k. Go left here and UP again, up Calle los Camachos. This is a narrow one-way road – beware of traffic coming up behind you. At the top you will see Edificio Alessandra and Restaurante Montemare is right there, waiting to serve you a meal or a drink.
- Continue along Camino de la Cantera, and turn second right down Calle Malvarrosa. Then, where this meets Calle los Enebros, at a ‘T’ junction, turn right. At the end of this road, turn left and follow the road all the way down the side of the dry river bed (it might not be dry in winter/spring) and underneath the N-340. At the ‘T’ junction turn left. If it’s open and if you’ve time, there is a small Roman ‘dig’ – Yacimiento Arqueologico Romano – just here on the left. Otherwise – cross the road, to the other side of the Volkswagen Sales yard and wait for the number 6 bus, back up the hill to Restaurante Montemare.
- Route 6 bus: http://www.transporteurbanodefuengirola.com/es/linea-6
- Costs €1.15 per trip, no matter where you get on or for how long your journey.
- Get off at Hiedra/Pensamiento/Venta de Torreblanca (or ask for the restaurant)
- Beware of siesta – buses start again from where I’ve suggested – at 17:54pm.
endnote
“you can avoid having to walk down that stretch of main road [from the B.P. garage] by cutting through the houses at the bottom of the multistory car park… it brings you out opposite the urbanisation turn off “. Via FB – Joanne Rivett