Christmas 2024

7 Nights - 5 Walking Days

€899.00

Celebrate Christmas with us in the beauty of the Andalucían outdoors

Leave behind the dull, damp weather and join us for a week of great walks in Andalucía. Experience the fantastic walks offered in the southern Spanish region and bask in the sun, where Europe's climate is at its best, offering a sense of escape and freedom.

Experience the best of both worlds with our carefully selected walks from the Hotel Arco del Sol. For the adventurous, we have the thrilling Suspension Bridge Walk from Canillas de Aceituno. For the curious, we have a visit to the towns of Frigiliana, Comares, and Teba, with their rich history. For a day of pure relaxation, the Tajos de Gomer offers a peaceful and tranquil escape into the countryside.

How difficult?

Each day, we embark on walks between 12 and 15 kilometres long, with ascents ranging from 480 to 650 metres. These walks provide a good balance of distance and challenge and allow you to immerse yourself in the stunning Andalucían scenery.

Being out on the trail is about seeing varied and interesting areas of Andalucía. Although it is meant not to be challenging, there will be some sections of steeper ascents, which may include rough or broken tracks, with the occasional use of hands to steady our progress.

If you are a regular walker covering similar distances, you should find all of our moderate-rated walks comfortable.

What will the weather be like?

As the long and dry days of Autumn transition into the winter months, stable weather conditions persist. The days grow shorter, and in the shade of the high walls of the gorges of Teba and the Rio Higueron, you might need to slip on a fleece to take the edge off, but overall, it's a perfect setting for a day of walking.

Clear blue skies, a gentle warm breeze, and the beautiful feel of a winter sun caressing your body make for unforgettable winter walking. It will be hard to imagine that you are sitting outside a small bar, enjoying a tasty tapas dish, and it is the end of December.

This holiday is available for single travellers without any additional surcharge.

Fully Booked

Nearest Airport

Malaga (AGP) 40 min transfer time

Arrival

Saturday 21st December

Departure

Saturday 28th December

Hotel

Arco del Sol

Included

Accommodation
Guide
Transport
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Free airport transfer
Christmas Day lunch and activities

Not Included

Flights
Airport Taxi (if not able to use our free service)
Evening Meal

Arrival

We offer free collection from Malaga airport and run two journeys on the arrival day. We try to operate these with your flight times and generally have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon collection.

If you cannot join us on one of our collections, then there are taxis that operate from Malaga Airport to Colmenar.

If possible then we do like to meet up for a tapas and drinks in the afternoon so that everyone can get to know each other, and we can run through the itinerary for the week.

Moorish Hillfort

A circular walk to the Moorish hilltop town of Comares.

This peaceful and tranquil walk leads us from the riverbed in the valley below and then climbs up through the olive groves and into the historic town of Comares.

Highlights of the walk include.

Tour of the town

Roman footpath

Moorish arches

Balcon de Axarquia

Moorish watchtower

Cemetary and Aljibe

Olive groves

Expansive views towards the coast

Tapas/refreshments in Comares

Travel time: 30 mins each way

Distance: 14 kilometres

Ascent: 650 meters

Walk Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Tajos de Gomer

A circular walk around the Tajos de Gomer mountains.

This magnificent and rewarding walk takes us around the impressive peaks of the Tajos de Gomer, which sit beneath the imposing ridgeline of the Central Limestone Arch. The walk does include a 30-metre section of easy scrambling.

Highlights of the walk include.

Karstic limestone and native flora

Tajos de Gomer

Exciting easy scramble

Olive groves

Expansive views towards the coast

Tapas/refreshments in Riogordo

Travel time: 25 mins each way

Distance: 15 kilometres

Ascent: 560 meters

Walk Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Cruz de Pinto

We should have at least one day walking near the Mediterranean Sea, and today, we can enjoy a circular walk in the beautiful Sierra de Almijara.

Starting from Frigiliana, this walk is on the periphery of the Almijara mountains and follows a spur to the Cross of Pinto monument. We have impressive coast views from here and into the natural park.

Highlights of the walk include.

Frigiliana Town

Walk along the Rio Higueron

Ascent through the pine forest

Expansive views towards the coast and Natural Park

A short section through the natural gorge in the Rio Higueron

Tapas/refreshments in Frigiliana

Travel time: 50 mins each way

Distance: 12 kilometres

Ascent: 550 meters

Walk Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Christmas Day

We have a relaxing day planned for the 25th. After enjoying a wholesome breakfast, we can choose from several activities for the day. Options include:

A short tour of the historic Moorish town of Comares.
A visit to the Old Town of Malaga.
A tour by Paddleboard in the Maro Natural Park.

Followed by our Christmas Day evening meal.

Teba Castle

This circular walk is set around the historic town of Teba.

Teba is home to one of the largest fortresses in Malaga, Castillo de Estrella, with some of the most spectacular views across the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes natural park (location of the Caminito del Rey) and the Guadalteba Reservoir.

Highlights of the walk include.

The Tajos de Molino Gorge

Cuevas de Palomas Archaeological site

Teba Museum

Castillo de Estrella Fortress

Tapas/refreshments in Teba

Travel time: 60 mins each way

Distance: 14 kilometres

Ascent: 480 metres

Walk Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Puente Colgante El Saltillo

Crossing the Almanchares Gorge

Referred to as the 'Caminto del Rey of Axarquia' and the third longest suspension bridge in the natural areas of Spain, this walk combines unending panoramic views with an exciting bridge crossing and an exhilarating climb out from the gorge. The Almanchares Gorge is also home to varied flora and fauna and, if we are lucky, a sighting of the Southern Spanish Ibex.

The bridge crossing is very safe, although the path that climbs up from the bridge to regain the forestry track is exposed. The path is secure, it has reasonable steps cut into the rock, and chains are installed into the rockface where required to assist with the ascent. Nothing is challenging about the path except that some sections are exposed to the gorge below.

Highlights of the walk include.

Refreshments at the beginning of the day in Canillas de Aceituno

Walking along the Aqueducts

Following the Almanchares Gorge to the Saltillo pools

The suspension bridge across the Almanchares Gorge

Stopping at the Los Pozuelos Mirador

Refreshments/Tapas in Sedella

Max travel time: 45 mins

Distance: 12 kilometres

Ascent: 550 metres

Walk Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Onward Travel

We offer a free return to Malaga airport and run two journeys on your departure day. We try to operate these with your flight times and generally have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon return.

If you cannot join us on one of our return journeys, we can arrange for a taxi to collect you from the hotel and take you to Malaga Airport.