Monte San Antón

The experience

Until then, I had never been hiking. Travelling across Spain and seeing the terrain surrounding so many towns and cities made me wonder what was really up in those hills, while I was also looking for a pastime that offered something beyond entertainment. One Saturday I simply took a bus to the eastern side of Málaga and decided to try.

I began almost at sea level around Playa del Palo. I crossed the urban area and climbed through Pinares de San Antón on roads that became steadily steeper, until I reached the chain marking the end of the tarmac. When the surface changed to dirt, it felt as though my first proper hike had really begun.

Small trails, rest areas, viewpoints and a few caves in the rock appeared during the ascent. Everything was new to me, although the route presented no significant technical difficulty. The central moment came at Cruz de San Antón, with Málaga stretching between the mountain and the sea; for me, it remains one of the city’s best viewpoints.

The return was straightforward, in keeping with an easy and relatively short outing. Its importance did not lie in difficulty or distance: that modest route opened the door to an interest that would later occupy a much larger place in my life. I would like to return one day for the night-time views, with the planning that a night outing requires.

Route highlights

• Views across Málaga from Cruz de San Antón
• My first real hiking experience
• Small caves beside the route