In the mountains of Almijara in the Spanish province of Andalusia, spring and autumn are ideal times for walking with daytime temperatures of 20-25 degrees (but +30 degrees in July and August). Even in winter, temperatures in the middle of the day are still pleasant. Nature is at its most beautiful in spring when the almond trees bloom exuberantly white and the oranges are ripe. In this region the sun shines no less than 325 days a year!

The nature of Axarquia has a lot to offer: wooded mountains that alternate with open terrain and orchards where olives, almonds and other tropical fruits grow. The walks, often on footpaths and donkey paths, go to altitudes of 1000 to almost 1800 meters.

The journey starts in Cómpeta (700 meters), an attractive and cozy mountain town. It is hidden at the end of an elongated valley and far away from mass tourism. From lively Cómpeta you walk through pine forests to the Cerro Gavilan, a 1130 meter high peak with a beautiful panorama in all directions. In the distance you can even see the coastal town of Nerja, the end point of your journey. The GR 249 that you follow used to be a trading path on which muleteers brought their goods from the coast to the region around Granada. Along the way you will even pass ruins of old inns where the floaters spent the night. Along the paths there are beautifully blooming gorse bushes and old fig trees. The route then takes you to Acebuchal, a village that was abandoned in 1949 and subsequently fell into disrepair. In 1998, Antonio Garcia Sánchez started its restoration and the results are impressive! From El Acebuchal you walk to Frigiliana, declared the "most beautiful village in Spain" at the end of the last century. The old Moorish quarter is especially worth a visit with a labyrinth of alleys, steps and passages. This tour continues through two valleys with wonderfully scented rosemary bushes along the way. Finally, a descent takes you to the Rio Chillar, a mountain river with rapids and waterfalls, with your final destination being Nerja: a lovely coastal town on the Costa del Sol.