GR 249 Gran Senda de Málaga · Stage 21
A long climb from the station at El Chorro into the hills. There is no water until Carratraca, at km 16, the only village and shop on the stage.
Best season: October to May on the coast; spring and autumn in the mountains. The coastal stages stay below about 85 m: mild in winter, hot in summer. Inland the ring climbs to about 1,220 m in the Sierra Almijara above Cómpeta, 1,385 m between Alfarnate and Villanueva del Rosario and 1,170 m above Ronda, with cold nights and some snow or ice in winter, and heat in summer. Before you go
Facts read from the guide's sources and OpenStreetMap on 18 September 2026. A page can change after we read it, so confirm with your accommodation before you rely on a date or a bed.
Stage start
Town
Hotel La Garganta, The Olive Branch hostel and the Finca La Campana bunkhouse; busy with climbers in winter.
OpenStreetMap lists at least 1 place to stay within about 600 m (read 19 September 2026). TrailSplits has not checked which are open.
Stage end · overnight
Town
Hostal El Cruce and Apartamentos Ardales.
OpenStreetMap lists at least 1 place to stay within about 600 m (read 19 September 2026). TrailSplits has not checked which are open.
Make it your trip
On the coast every stage ends in a town with hotels and coast buses: book a bed at each stage end, or stay in one place and ride the bus. Inland the villages are small, with one or two places to stay: book each night ahead.
Four easy coastal stages on promenades, beach paths and quiet roads, each ending in a town with buses back to Málaga.
Plan this journeyTwo short days past Torre del Mar and the Torrox lighthouse to Nerja.
Plan this journeyEight stages inland from the sea: over the Sierras of Almijara and Tejeda by the white villages of the Axarquía, Frigiliana, Cómpeta and Canillas de Aceituno, then north through Periana, Riogordo and the high pass above Alfarnate to Archidona.
Plan this journeyThree easy stages across the farmland north of Antequera, by the Genil at Cuevas Bajas to the flamingo lagoon at Fuente de Piedra.
Plan this journeyTwo stages past the Guadalteba and Guadalhorce reservoirs to the gorge at El Chorro, where the inland section to Casares starts.
Plan this journeyEight stages inland: from the gorge at El Chorro by Ardales and El Burgo to Ronda, down the Guadiaro valley and across the white villages of the Genal valley to Casares.
Plan this journeyFive stages from Ronda down the Guadiaro valley and across the Genal valley to Casares.
Plan this journeySeven stages back to Málaga: down to the sea at Estepona, along the beaches to Marbella, and over the Sierra Blanca and the Sierra de Mijas above the Costa del Sol, with the 50 km stage from Ojén to Mijas.
Plan this journeyLoading the forecast for low point (191 m) and high point (663 m)…
Typical weather on this stage: at the lowest point (191 m) and the highest point (663 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Mixed | Good | Good | Good |
| High point, day / night | 13°/4° | 14°/4° | 17°/6° | 19°/8° | 23°/11° | 28°/14° | 32°/17° | 31°/17° | 27°/15° | 22°/11° | 16°/7° | 14°/5° |
| Low point, day / night | 16°/6° | 17°/6° | 19°/8° | 22°/10° | 25°/13° | 30°/16° | 34°/19° | 34°/20° | 29°/17° | 24°/14° | 19°/9° | 16°/7° |
| Rain, mm | 75 | 70 | 84 | 51 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 72 | 93 | 106 |
| Snow at high point | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Daylight | 9 h 53 | 10 h 49 | 11 h 54 | 13 h 06 | 14 h 07 | 14 h 40 | 14 h 28 | 13 h 37 | 12 h 28 | 11 h 19 | 10 h 14 | 9 h 39 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
The whole trail
The Gran Senda de Málaga runs 675 km around the province in 35 stages, plus variants. All but stages 14 and 18 are mapped and planned here; those follow when OpenStreetMap has their paths. MIDE grades run from 1 (easiest) to 5 for the terrain, the route, the going and the effort.
| Stage | From – to | Distance | Official time | MIDE | Climb | Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Málaga – Rincón de la Victoria | 15.6 km | 3:20 h | 1-1-1-2 | +40 / −35 m | Stage page |
| 2 | Rincón de la Victoria – Vélez-Málaga | 24.4 km | 5:25 h | 1-2-1-3 | +70 / −50 m | Stage page |
| 3 | Vélez-Málaga – Torrox | 15 km | 4:00 h | 1-2-1-3 | +80 / −135 m | Stage page |
| 4 | Torrox – Nerja | 7.3 km | 2:10 h | 2-1-2-2 | +35 / −40 m | Stage page |
| 5 | Nerja – Frigiliana | 14.7 km | 5:05 h | 3-2-2-3 | +765 / −600 m | Stage page |
| 6 | Frigiliana – Cómpeta | 24.7 km | 8:15 h | 3-2-2-4 | +1,160 / −790 m | Stage page |
| 7 | Cómpeta – Canillas de Aceituno | 24.3 km | 8:15 h | 3-2-3-4 | +1,050 / −985 m | Stage page |
| 8 | Canillas de Aceituno – Periana | 29.7 km | 8:00 h | 1-2-2-3 | +765 / −870 m | Stage page |
| 9 | Periana – Riogordo | 19.7 km | 6:45 h | 2-2-2-4 | +821 / −958 m | Stage page |
| 10 | Riogordo – Alfarnate | 15.6 km | 5:20 h | 1-2-3-3 | +905 / −395 m | Stage page |
| 11 | Alfarnate – Villanueva del Rosario | 15.4 km | 5:15 h | 3-2-2-3 | +590 / −770 m | Stage page |
| 12 | Villanueva del Rosario – Archidona | 17.2 km | 4:15 h | 3-2-2-3 | +390 / −365 m | Stage page |
| 13 | Archidona – Villanueva de Tapia | 17.1 km | 3:50 h | 2-2-2-3 | +170 / −205 m | Stage page |
| 14 | Villanueva de Tapia – Villanueva de Algaidas | 14.8 km | 4:15 h | 1-2-1-3 | +410 / −470 m | Not mapped yet |
| 15 | Villanueva de Algaidas – Cuevas Bajas | 9.4 km | 2:45 h | 1-1-1-2 | +280 / −440 m | Stage page |
| 16 | Cuevas Bajas – Alameda | 21.2 km | 4:45 h | 2-1-1-3 | +310 / −125 m | Stage page |
| 17 | Alameda – Fuente de Piedra | 18.6 km | 3:55 h | 1-1-1-3 | +60 / −160 m | Stage page |
| 18 | Fuente de Piedra – Campillos | 25.6 km | 7:10 h | 2-2-1-4 | +400 / −335 m | Not mapped yet |
| 19 | Campillos – Embalses del Guadalhorce | 23 km | 5:15 h | 2-2-2-3 | +255 / −360 m | Stage page |
| 20 | Embalses del Guadalhorce – Estación de El Chorro (Álora) | 22 km | 6:05 h | 2-2-2-4 | +680 / −800 m | Stage page |
| 21 | Estación de El Chorro (Álora) – Carratraca - Ardales | 21.7 km | 7:00 h | 1-2-2-4 | +1,350 / −1,115 m | Stage page |
| 22 | Ardales – El Burgo | 22.6 km | 5:35 h | 1-1-1-3 | +690 / −480 m | Stage page |
| 23 | El Burgo – Ronda | 23.7 km | 7:30 h | 3-3-2-4 | +1,040 / −875 m | Stage page |
| 24 | Ronda – Estación de Benaoján | 13.7 km | 4:00 h | 1-2-2-3 | +270 / −572 m | Stage page |
| 25 | Estación de Benaoján – Jimera de Líbar | 9.6 km | 3:00 h | 1-1-1-2 | +320 / −240 m | Stage page |
| 26 | Jimera de Líbar – Benalauría | 14.7 km | 4:30 h | 1-2-2-3 | +805 / −635 m | Stage page |
| 27 | Benalauría – Genalguacil | 11.6 km | 3:50 h | 1-2-2-3 | +370 / −540 m | Stage page |
| 28 | Genalguacil – Casares | 20.5 km | 5:45 h | 2-2-2-3 | +770 / −880 m | Stage page |
| 29 | Casares – Estepona | 24.2 km | 7:00 h | 2-2-2-4 | +1,170 / −2,680 m | Stage page |
| 30 | Estepona – Marbella | 27.1 km | 7:00 h | 1-2-2-4 | +5 / −5 m | Stage page |
| 31 | Marbella – Ojén | 17 km | 5:45 h | 2-2-2-3 | +930 / −645 m | Stage page |
| 32 | Ojén – Mijas | 50.4 km | 14:45 h | 3-3-2-5 | +2,520 / −2,340 m | Stage page |
| 33 | Mijas – Benalmádena | 18 km | 6:15 h | 2-2-2-4 | +750 / −1,000 m | Stage page |
| 34 | Benalmádena – Alhaurín de la Torre | 12.3 km | 4:10 h | 2-2-2-3 | +440 / −620 m | Not mapped yet |
| 35 | Alhaurín de la Torre – Málaga | 12.9 km | 2:35 h | 1-1-1-2 | +10 / −30 m | Not mapped yet |
Diputación de Málaga stage pages, read 18 September 2026.
Before you go
Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.
The Diputación grades the coast from Málaga to Nerja easy (MIDE 1–2 out of 5): promenades, beach paths and quiet roads, a good first multi-day walk. Across the Sierras of Almijara and Tejeda it grades stage 6 difficult and stage 7 very difficult, over 24 km and 1,000 m of climb each; El Burgo to Ronda (23) and Ojén to Mijas (32, 50 km) are difficult too.
Gran Senda de Málaga: stage pagesCoast buses of the Málaga metropolitan transport consortium run between Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Torre del Mar, Vélez-Málaga, Torrox Costa and Nerja, so each coastal stage can start and end at a bus stop.
CTMAM: Málaga metropolitan busesBetween El Chorro and Casares the villages have one or two places to stay, and winter opening is rarely published: book each night ahead. Benaoján station and Benalauría have no hotel in winter; the six-day plan sleeps in Jimera de Líbar and Genalguacil instead. After heavy rain the fords on stages 23, 24, 25, 27 and 28 can be impassable.
AEMET: weather warningsThe big-game season runs from 17 October 2026 to 14 February 2027, with drive hunts mostly from November to January, on any day of the week. Hunts must be signposted on the paths: never ignore the signs. Inland stages of 20–24 km take most of a winter day; start at first light.
BOJA: the 2026/27 hunting season (Spanish)The route fords arroyos at beach level and crosses the Río Chíllar at Nerja; after heavy rain they can be deep or impassable. Check the warnings before you set out.
AEMET: weather warningsGetting there
Travel around El Chorro to Ardales.
Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.
The Cercanías C1 train runs from the airport to Málaga Centro-Alameda in about 12 minutes; km 0 is on the Misericordia seafront, west of the centre.
Aena: Málaga airport by bus and trainTrains from Málaga María Zambrano reach El Chorro in about an hour (in September 2026 at 09:05, 13:26 and 17:08), and the Cercanías C2 runs from Málaga Centro-Alameda. Buses replaced the trains in summer 2026: check Renfe for your date.
Renfe: timetablesThe railway through Ronda, Benaoján and Jimera has had no trains since the February 2026 storms, and the line is closed for works until about autumn 2027. Renfe runs replacement buses twice a day each way calling at the stations; Ronda has frequent coaches to Málaga.
Renfe: timetablesAvanza bus L-77 runs from Casares to Estepona on weekdays and Saturdays (none on Sundays; take a taxi), and Estepona has buses to Málaga and its airport every day.
Avanza: line L-77Lines M-160 and M-163 run to Rincón de la Victoria, M-260 to Torre del Mar and Vélez-Málaga, and M-362 and M-363 to Torrox Costa and Nerja; ALSA links Nerja and Torre del Mar hourly.
ALSA: Nerja to Torre del MarTake your trip with you
Prepare each stage while you still have a connection, and test it offline before you set out.
Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.
Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.
Route & sources
The line follows the official route on OpenStreetMap paths, checked against the route files of the Andalusian mountain federation, which certifies the GR 249. Where a stage starts across town from where the last one ended, the walk there is added to the next stage. Stages 14 and 18 are not mapped yet: OpenStreetMap does not have all of their paths.
Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 18 September 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.
Diputación de Málaga: Gran Senda de MálagaMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Source relation