El Torcal de Antequera, Nature reserve near Antequera, Spain
El Torcal de Antequera is a protected nature reserve featuring distinctive limestone formations that create a landscape of towers, corridors, and natural plazas. The terrain spans across a mountainous region at approximately 1,300 meters (4,260 feet) elevation.
Spain designated this site as a Natural Monument of National Interest in 1929, formally establishing its protected status. This designation has allowed the landscape to remain safeguarded and recognized as an important natural area at the international level.
The limestone caves scattered across the terrain, particularly Cueva del Toro, hold remnants and tools left behind by people who lived here during the Neolithic age. These spaces reveal how humans have inhabited and moved through this landscape for thousands of years.
Three marked walking trails of varying difficulty guide visitors through the reserve, ranging from shorter to longer routes for different fitness levels. Plan your visit during clear weather when the rock formations are most visible and the paths are safer to navigate.
The limestone formations here originated from marine sediments deposited about 150 million years ago when this area lay beneath the Tethys Sea. This ancient geological transformation has left behind an otherworldly landscape that looks completely different from what existed when these rocks first formed.
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