Beautiful picnic spots and walks by John Keo:

The Middle Mountains

I would like to introduce you to Sierra Enmedio. They get their name from the fact that they lay in the middle between the Rio Higueron (Fig Tree River) and Rio Chillar (The Screaming River). This wedge shaped area of hillside is probably the most accessible high ground in the Frigiliana, Nerja area. There are several well worn trails but almost no signs. I have two separate picnic spots on these hills and all within an hour or so walk of Frigiliana town centre.

Spot number one, EL Pinarillo on the Rio Higueron. This is the easiest and most accessible. Departing from Frigiliana between the Unicaja bank and Bar Virtudes you descend the concrete road into the riverbed. Continue to your left up the river canyon for 45-60 minutes to the picnic tables of El Pinarillo. We have our Feria there every year on June 13 – St. Anthony of Padua Feast Day. You pass by the ancient water deposit called Pozo Batan (The Weavers Deposit). This dates back to the times when Paper was pulped from the left over sugarcane plants that had been squeezed up in the sugarcane factory in Frigiliana. It was then laid on a lattice of fibre in order to give it strength. This lattice or weave gave the water deposit its name. The place where they wove paper. You continue along the old dirt road or you can walk along the water canal on the left of the river bed until you reach the picnic area. You can spend time there, have your picnic maybe a little meditation and then return the way you came. It’s a nice easy day but you get a real feel for the Natural environment. Remember the climb back up the road to Frigiliana from the riverbed. View the route on: www.wikiloc.com

Spot number two – departing down the concrete road as mentioned above you instead turn right at the river bed. Continue on down the rocky river bed for about 200 metres until you get to a big natural rocky step down. That’s your landmark. There is a cliff face to your left and there is a route from here that winds its way up through the pine trees above the canyon and on. It emerges at the old ruined farmhouse of Corral Del Pinto. Continue on following the trail until you emerge at the forest road below Cerro Del Pinto (Pinto’s Hill). Veer to your left and follow the trails up to the top of Pinto’s Hill. The story goes that a shipwrecked Captain Pinto erected a cross there as his way of giving thanks from being saved from a watery grave. From the village to the top of the hill will take the average walker about 60 – 90 minutes. There is a lovely shrine up there which you can rest your back against and just watch the world from your height of 400 metres. It’s a lovely place to have a picnic and watch the coastline. You should return the same way you came. View the route on: wikiloc.com/wikiloc

There are lots of combinations of these routes into longer walks of course but if you are looking for a nice 2-4 hour meander in the hills or the river valley then The Middle Mountains, Sierra Enmedio, are great for that.