Driving up the Sierra Bermeja near Estepona

Drive up Sierra Bermeja Mountain Near Estepona - This is a lovely drive and takes you right to the heart of the Genal region in the Ronda Mountain area. Once you reach the peak of the mountain, the views on a clear day are of course stunning, you can keep on driving ‘over the other side’ as it were, into an area seemingly a million miles away from the coast.

To get there, there really is only one road in! So get yourself to Estepona and once off the A-7 (old N-340 coast road) you need to get to Avenida de Andalucia, which is a smaller ring road encircling the town. Once on this road, the easiest landmark to spot, when looking for the Carreterra Genalguacil junction, is the massive ‘Mercadona’ supermarket. At this junction (MA 557) you will see both Jubrique and Genalguacin signposted and is also where the ‘Guardia Civil’ Station is.

Once on this road you will pass over the A-7 and then onwards and upwards to the mountain. It takes just under an hour to reach near the top, but you pass through some magnificent forests and it is possible to pull over on the side of the road and hike off into the mountain. If there has been recent rainfall this makes a lot of beautiful little waterfalls running down various parts near to the road and is very picturesque. There are also fresh water fountains that many local Esteponians still use for their water today, you will see them carrying their water bottles.

In the winter months it is quite possible for snow to fall on the upper slopes of the mountain. Again the townsfolk of Estepona love the novelty and will drive up, park up (anywhere!!) and have family snowball fights in the road. They will then pile as much snow on the bonnets of their car to the point of not being able to see out, just so some will still be there by the time they get back down to Estepona!

The most common tree here is the Spanish Fir which is unique to Andalucia, you may also find juniper trees and cork trees. The wildlife (if you are lucky enough to spot some) include mountain goats, roe deer and mongoose. Eyes to the sky and you may spot eagles, sparrow hawks and vultures, all these birds and many more nest on the sheer slopes at the peak.

Near the summit of Sierra Bermeja is a ‘Refugio de los Reales’ where there is a recreational area with picnic and barbeque facilities. From the car park you can walk to the ‘mirador’ or view point and see the breathtaking views down the coast.

If you want to keep on driving, Jubrique is about another 30 minutes away, but is a charming whitewashed village with bags of history, and great bars and restaurants. The landscape differs greatly here with many deciduous trees which create a fantastic palette of colour in the autumn much different to the palms and cactus of the coast.

The next town you will come to is Genalguacil and from here it is possible to wend your way back to the coast either by going onto Gaucin, Casares and then down into Manilva or by going onto Ronda and then down to San Pedro. Either way you will experience a little of the charm the Spanish countryside has to offer in the Sierra Bermeja.