The Ox Cliffs

Price	€ 20
Day & Time	Mondays and Fridays starting at 10:00 (walking calendar)
Meeting Point	Nerja bus station, Nerja (map) at 09:30, and then at the Nerja Caves (map) at 10:00.
Minimum Group Size	Limited number of spaces available on each walk in order to maintain group safety and good walker/guide ratio.
Start Time	10:00 at the Nerja Caves (map)
Finish Time	16:00 at the Nerja Caves
Walking Time	6 hours (includes stops for breaks, lunch, photos, etc.)
Walking Distance	14 kilometres (circular route)
Height Gained	500 metres (from Nerja Caves)
Level of Difficulty	3B (rating explanation)
Risk of vertigo	No
Recommendations	Hiking boots or walking shoes with thick socks are recommended. Trainers/tennis shoes not ideal but will suffice. Definitely no flip-flops, sandals or similar, please. A decent level of fitness is also required. Bring something to eat for lunch, sufficient water and appropriate clothing.
Additional Gear	Walking poles may be useful on the first leg of ascent.
Highlights	Walk through thick pine forest, fantastic views and wonderful scenery, opportunity for wildlife spotting, experience the walk through the scenic mini-gorge.
Facilities	Lavatory, drinks and food available at the Nerja Caves.
Observations	This walk starts at the Nerja Caves at 10:00. Walkers based in Nerja should meet me no later than 09:30 at the Nerja town meeting point (map). Walkers based in Frigiliana who intend to use public transport for getting to the start of this walk should get the 08:00 bus to Nerja and meet the main group at the Nerja town meeting point at 09:30, at which point we will all get the 09:40 bus to the Nerja Caves, where this walk will begin at 10:00. This walk ends at the Nerja Caves at approximately 16:00. Walkers based in Frigiliana will be able to catch either the 16:15 or 17:00 bus to Nerja, and then catch the 19:00 bus to get back to Frigiliana.
Map of walking area

This is a really nice hike with lots of varying scenery, vegetation, trails, paths and walking terrain. The beginning of the hike is pleasant and relaxed as the path cuts through an expansive and thick pine forest with a noticeable mixture of box, holly oak, oleander and dwarf palm in the undergrowth. Wild boar frequent this area, and if we are not lucky to spot any, we will almost certainly see the trademark signature of their foraging noticeable at the trail’s edge and in the undergrowth. As we make our way out of the shade of the pine forest in the lower valley and onto exposed mountainside, the gradient increases and the going becomes a little more difficult. We push our way through thick stands of shoulder-high rosemary and other typically Mediterranean plants and scrub.

Moving further up the mountainside and now out in the open, there are great views of the coast from the path, not to mention the peak of Los Bueyes (615m) and its sheer cliffs, which is often frequented by falcons and kestrels. The views will get even better the higher we ascend, and we keep working our way up the mountainside until we arrive at the highest point of our itinerary and our rest point for a deserved lunch break and to relax in the welcoming confines of an abandoned farmer’s cortijo.

At our designated lunch stop, there are wonderful views of the coast, Maro, Nerja and Torrox, not to mention the surrounding mountain environment and an especially gratifying view looking back at the thickly wooded valley, through which we made our ascent, and the sea beyond. It is also worth noting that our lunch stop is well situated relative to the peak of Los Bueyes so that bird watchers will be perfectly positioned for an opportunity to spot any falcons and kestrels.

Once fed and watered, we begin a more easy going route down the mountainside along a well maintained forest trail into the adjacent valley. The terrain is good underfoot and we quickly make our way down to the valley floor below with some wonderful views and mountain scenery and opportunity for some photos.

The last part of our walk is the most relaxing and pleasant as we walk along a dry riverbed all the way back to our start point. There isn’t much by way of expansive views, however, the dry river course, which has high vertical sides, gives the feeling of being in a miniature Grand Canyon and has a peaceful and enjoyable sensation to it, as we walk along wide, fine gravel paths in the shade of eucalyptus trees.

If falcons, eagles, ibex and wonderful mountain scenery haven’t kept us back too much, then we should have time for a quick drink and a tapa or two in Maro before getting the bus back to Nerja.

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