via Arroyo del Meli

Distance:  9  km                           Time:  3 1/2 hours                                    Difficulty Rating:  Medium         

MapMyWalk Link                                                                                 PDF Link (available to SpainAway guests)

The early part of this route is identical to that of the Frigiliana - Nerja Route (1). And, as with Route (3), this route is one of our own creation, taking in some excellent views.

Thus from the start point of the roundabout just below the old sugar factory in Frigiliana, take the ring road along to the roundabout at the entrance to the new village. From here you can continue on down the main Frigiliana – Nerja road until you reach the hamlet of La Molineta on your left. However a slight deviation is possible, just above La Molineta, that cuts off a large corner of the main road (and avoids the fact that there is no pavement to walk on during this stretch), wherein you turn left just before the final sweeping bend, picture left. The track then winds down for something like 200 m, before re-joining the main road just before La Molineta. Rather than now head up the main road, which doesn’t have a pavement, we are taking you instead off to one side, also enabling you to take a very brief diversion off to your left, up to the site of an interesting old threshing floor, along the way. Thus turn left into the entrance to La Molineta,, and then almost immediately branch right, taking a track up past a concrete pole and two electricity pylons. Then, just before the first house on your left, you can take a very brief diversion off to your left. From the remains of an ancient threshing floor, there are some great views to be seen.

Then descend back to the track, turning left here, and continuing on uphill. On reaching the villa entrance gate on your left, picture left, turn right here down a smaller track. As you continue on down you will see the Frigiliana – Nerja road main road ahead of you, and you need to cross over at a bus stop seen ahead, Immediately to the right of this bus stop turn left past some rubbish bins and letter racks, into the urbanisation Las Lomas de Frigiliana. Turn right at this point, down into Las Lomas. After about one km you will reach a junction (marked on Google maps as ‘Cortijo Pino No 8’. Here you need to take the left hand route, signposted ‘La Morea’. Keep on down the hill, keeping left on the more minor road at the junction shown in the picture below left. On reaching the villa named Las Dos Hermanas, keep going to the right. This whole route is pretty seriously downhill.

Continue keeping right, by Cortijo Vitoria, eventually passing a large circular water tank on your right, with your first view of the motorway (the A -7 out of Nerja, heading west) ahead. On reaching the valley bottom, at the junction with the Arroyo del Meli, cross over here on a bridge and turn left. Then continue on down this track. On reaching the motorway, high above, go all the way underneath, and then take the (second) turn to the left, just where the concrete road begins.. This takes you across the river on a solid bridge, immediately after which you need to turn left, in order to head back onto the other (original) side of the motorway, turning right up the hill, on a rough track. Almost immediately bear left, following the sign for Viveros Torres. Continue on up the hill until you reach a junction by some gates on the right, carrying pictures of a couple of dogs. In fact this is where our Frigiliana – Nerja Route (3) comes in from the left, but here we need to go straight on, essentially taking the middle of three tracks, heading downhill.

The track then continues on for about a kilometre, going up and down, until passing through a concrete tunnel underneath the motorway. On exiting here, keep to the left. Following this along you will come to a further crossroads, where you need to turn left.This road now takes you up to the main Frigiliana – Nerja road at a roundabout with a distinctive spire on top. Go straight on here, crossing the main road, and taking a steep minor road downhill.

Follow this around, following the main road, and ignoring turns off to the left or right. Eventually. heading downhill slightly, you will see a turn to the left down a steep concrete track into the valley below. Follow the track down to the valley below, then climbing up to the right, until you reach a concrete road, at which point turn right. Continue straight on down this road to the valley below, ignoring any turns off. At the bottom you turn right, across the (possibly slightly wet) bed of the Rio Chillar, and then continue straight on up the hill. This road eventually brings you out on the main road out through Nerja. Turn left here, going straight ahead at the next roundabout, until reaching a further roundabout just past the Supersol supermarket on your left. A short distance past here is the end of our route, at the entrance to El Capistrano.