Three days is enough to see the best of northern Málaga province at a relaxed pace, based in Villanueva de la Concepción without changing accommodation. Journeys are short: El Torcal is 12 minutes away, Antequera 22 and the Caminito del Rey an hour.
Day 1: El Torcal
- Morning: head up to El Torcal early, before 10:00, to park at the top. Do the Yellow Route (about 2 hours). See how to visit El Torcal.
- Lunch: at the El Torcal restaurant or at a local venta (see where to eat).
- Afternoon: a stroll around Villanueva and the 18th-century bridges of the Camino Real.
- Evening: if it is a Saturday, a session at the observatory, booked in advance.
Day 2: Antequera, city of the Dolmens
- Morning: the Menga and Viera Dolmens and the El Romeral tholos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Closed on Mondays. Menga is one of the largest megalithic monuments in Europe and its entrance faces the Peña de los Enamorados.
- Lunch: porra antequerana and mollete in the centre of Antequera.
- Afternoon: the Alcazaba and the Real Colegiata de Santa María, with a combined ticket, and the Museo de la Ciudad (Town Museum), home to the Efebo de Antequera, a 1st-century Roman bronze.
- Optional: the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, about 40 minutes away, with its flamingo colony. Best in March and April, first thing in the morning or at sunset.
Day 3: Caminito del Rey
- Morning: the Caminito del Rey, a 7.7 km walkway clinging to the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge, one way only from Ardales to El Chorro. Allow 3–4 hours plus transfers.
- Important: tickets must be bought in advance at caminitodelrey.info and they sell out. The minimum age is 8 and you must bring ID (DNI, passport or Libro de Familia).
- Afternoon: a swim or kayak in the Guadalhorce reservoirs, next to the northern entrance, or a leisurely drive back via Álora.
If you have more days
- Málaga and the beach (45 minutes): the Picasso Museum, the Alcazaba and an afternoon of espetos (sardines grilled on skewers) in El Palo or Pedregalejo.
- Granada (1 hr 35): the Alhambra, with tickets booked weeks in advance.
- Ronda and Setenil (about 2 hours).
- Nearby villages: Archidona and its Plaza Ochavada, Casabermeja, Almogía, Colmenar.
Three days, one place to stay. Apartamentos Villa Torcal · Check availability