On the way up the A357 which connects Malaga with Campillos, travellers will see the white pueblo of Ardales on their left just before the turning on the right towards the Guadalhorce Lakes, Bobastro and the El Chorro Gorge, all of which are essential destinations for anyone keen on exploring the beautiful attractions of inland Andalucia. Perched on foothills at the edge of the vast Sierra de las Nieves, with its distinctive central outcrop on top of which are the very atmospheric ruins of the Peña Ardales castle, with far reaching, panoramic views over the surrounding countryside and the adjoining Paraje Natural Desfiladero del los Gaitanes, Ardales is often left behind immediately without a second thought.
Give it a second thought! Perfect as an extension to a lovely day of sightseeing or fully justifiable as an attraction in its own right, Ardales is full of interest, charm and exceptional views, definitely not a place to leave behind immediately and a shame to miss out entirely. We began our visit at one of our regular haunts, the Ardales olive oil factory and shop, which in our humble opinion dispenses some of the best extra virgin olive oil in the world, either in handy one-litre bottles, more economical twenty-litre flagons or a variety of creatively packaged gift suggestions which are perfect for holidaymakers. Just beside the A357 on the Ardales side, at the turnoff to El Chorro, the farmyard shop is easy to find and well worth a visit.
We then drove through the narrow streets of the town, following signposts towards El Burgo and passing through the central square, where a market is held each Friday morning, before turning right at the edge of the pueblo to reach the Roman bridge (el Puente de la Molina). Should you get lost, simply ask anyone for directions to ‘Puente Romano’. Incredibly, the bridge is still passable, a strange sensation for me as I drove cautiously across it in our car, while thinking back to all those years before and the totally different way of life that prevailed in those distant times.
Having crossed the Rio Turón, which unusually runs in an opposite direction to the sea, ending up instead in the man-made Guadalhorce Lakes, you can either park your car and take a little stroll along one of several tracks or turn left and continue driving until you reach a fork in the road. Park the car and continue on foot along the right track, eventually crossing through a field on the left towards the ruins of the Castillo del Turón, which together with the Peña are vestiges of the Islamic occupations of Spain. Fantastic views are on offer from this point, back over Ardales on one side and across agricultural fields towards the mountain range of La Huma on the other. In January a sea of pink almond blossom colours the landscape.
After a relaxing picnic and some very enjoyable bird watching, including sightings of wagtails, hoopoes, a kestrel and many others we could not identify, we returned to the pueblo, parked our car and headed uphill to have a closer look at the Peña, our return offering ample reward for the undeniable exertion, with lovely views over the town, including from almost every angle the imposing and very attractive steeple of the Iglesia Parroquial, built during the 15th and 16th Centuries and characterised by its bi-coloured woodwork and huge, pointed horseshoe archways.
There are plenty of little bars and restaurants in the centre of this very Spanish village, whose welcome to the outside world is most refreshing, with occasional modern names such as Bar Milan and Café New World. Visitors can also buy specialities of the area, such as almond biscuits, sausages, hand-made bread rolls and loaves and of course Ardales olive oil. There is also a museum near the fountain at the entrance to the village.
As the soft winter sunshine faded over the hills, guarding our bottle of the gorgeous liquid gold, we returned along the A357, having thoroughly enjoyed an unforgettable day out in the glorious Andalucian heartland.
If you would like to stay in the area we offer a wide choice of accommodation in inland Andalucia, see our personally chosen range of Holiday Rental Accommodation.