Our Spain Travels - El Torcal de Antequera

The Torcal de Antequera Natural Site, located in the central area of ​​the province of Malaga, elevated above the city of Antequera and in the limestone arch of the Subbéticas, is one of the best and most spectacular examples of karst relief in all of Europe. It takes its name from its most common and well-known forms, the torcas or sinkholes, small circular depressions with a flat bottom that are filled with the most resistant residues to the erosive activity of water, decalcification clay also called terra rossa due to its red colour.

Due to the rarity and magnificence of its strange formations, the Torcal de Antequera offers an impressive landscape considered unique in the world, a fact that motivated its declaration in 1929 as a Site of National Interest. Its 1,171 hectares have served as the setting for science-fiction films on countless occasions, as its labyrinthine structure of sinkholes, corridors, caves and chasms (such as Toro and Marinaleda), landings and gorges, the best example of which is the Tornillo de El Torcal, where it is easy for walkers to get lost. The limestone aspect of the composition of its terrain makes it easily susceptible to erosion by weather agents, such as rain or wind.

The plant communities of greatest botanical importance within the natural area are the rocky ones, adapted to the fissures and cracks of the rocks, with many of them endemic plants. The most representative rocky species are Linaria anticaria, Saxifraga biternata, Linaria oblongifolia, Viola demetria, Saxifraga reuterana, Polypodium australe, among many others.

The trees are typical of the mountains, where maple, elder, gall oak, hawthorn, blackthorn and low oak trees predominate, with an undergrowth made up mostly of bushes such as matagallo, thyme, candilera, common ivy, which is very abundant, fern, moss, peony and lily.

One of the most notable values ​​of the Torcal fauna is the wealth of birds it supports, a fact that has earned it its declaration as a Special Protection Area for Birds. Griffon vultures are usually regular visitors to Torcal. Other birds of interest present are black and blonde wheatears, eagle owls, little owls, common kestrels, crag martins, red-billed choughs and numerous small birds.

Among the reptiles there is the presence of the ocellated lizard, the long-tailed and Iberian lizard, the ladder snake, the Montpellier snake and the snouted viper; Among the mammals there are voles, foxes, badgers, weasels, rabbits and some Spanish goats.

Other information
The visitor centre of the natural space has a multi-purpose room, cafeteria, shop, astronomical observatory and interpreter guide service. For more information on activities, consult the intensive programme of the visitor centre.

¡Saludos! Michel Y Ann