Ronda to El Chorro - 3 day hike Day 3: Ardales to El Chorro
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 10.93 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,811 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,398 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,946 ft
- TrailRank
-
71
5
- Min elevation
- 647 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 4 hours 5 minutes
- Time
- 5 hours 16 minutes
- Coordinates
- 3075
- Uploaded
- March 7, 2022
- Recorded
- March 2022
near Ardales, Andalucía (España)
Viewed 756 times, downloaded 10 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This was a 3 day hike from Ronda to El Chorro, following the GR249 Gran Senda de Málaga and the GR7.
Day 3 - Ardales to El Chorro. There are two choices of route out of Ardales - the GR249 via Carratraca or the GR7. I chose the GR7 because it is 6 kms shorter! After about an hour 15 minutes gentle climbing on the GR7 you join the route from Carratraca, and the rest of the route follows the GR249 all the way to El Chorro. It's well signposted with red/white posts. You meet the road and pass the Moorish settlement of "Bobastro" (closed on Mondays).
LINK: https://lagarganta.com/en/environment/bobastro-ruins/
After a short uphill section on the road you join a woodland path. Then the final section is a spectacular steep descent to the El Chorro reservoir on a rough and rocky path which is mildly vertiginous. I did this downhill section in light rain and it was not difficult for experienced hikers, nor particularly slippery, with plenty of footholds - but you need to take your time and definitely need appropriate hiking boots. This section is not suitable for inexperienced hikers nor should it be undertaken in trainer type footwear. A hiking pole is useful. My average speed was 4.3 kms/hour on this day.
Day 3 - Ardales to El Chorro. There are two choices of route out of Ardales - the GR249 via Carratraca or the GR7. I chose the GR7 because it is 6 kms shorter! After about an hour 15 minutes gentle climbing on the GR7 you join the route from Carratraca, and the rest of the route follows the GR249 all the way to El Chorro. It's well signposted with red/white posts. You meet the road and pass the Moorish settlement of "Bobastro" (closed on Mondays).
LINK: https://lagarganta.com/en/environment/bobastro-ruins/
After a short uphill section on the road you join a woodland path. Then the final section is a spectacular steep descent to the El Chorro reservoir on a rough and rocky path which is mildly vertiginous. I did this downhill section in light rain and it was not difficult for experienced hikers, nor particularly slippery, with plenty of footholds - but you need to take your time and definitely need appropriate hiking boots. This section is not suitable for inexperienced hikers nor should it be undertaken in trainer type footwear. A hiking pole is useful. My average speed was 4.3 kms/hour on this day.
Waypoints
Photo
784 ft
GR7 Signpost - it says 7 hours but it took me a little over 5 hours at a relaxed pace, with stops.
Comments (5)
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It looks great and your description is fantastic. We had planned to hike the GR249 from El Chorro in March, but the weather didn’t permit when we wanted. Thanks for a great route post!
Hi Ron, thank you. It was a really great 3 day hike from Ronda to El Chorro and I recommend it. I parked in Ronda at the beginning of the hike, and then got the train from El Chorro back to Ronda at the end.
Wow! That sounds fantastic! Did you see the Escalera Arabe loop trail just above El Chorro train station? I have hiked it, and the GR249 stage from El Chorro around the mountains back to the starting point for the Caminito Del Rey. Did you find reasonable places to stay on the three day hike from Ronda?
Yes: Hotel La Casa Grande in El Burgo; Apartamentos Ardales in Ardales, and on Day 3 at the end of my three day jaunt I stayed at Hotel La Garganta in El Chorro. I could have got a late evening train back to Ronda but it would have meant sitting around in slightly damp hiking gear for several hours...so I stayed overnight and went back to Ronda on the train the following morning. Much more civilised.
Fantastic! Many thanks! Check out the Escalera Árabe trail above El Chorro, a lovely loop! Best regards, Ron