Pizarra with Hiking Trails, Culture and Birdwatching

The SL-A 213 hiking trail network runs through the Sierra de Gibralmora and connects Pizarra with Cerralba and, from there, with Zalea and El Santo. The El Santo section is a 5,868-metre linear trail from the Área recreativa Raja Ancha to Calle Ermita; the estimated walking time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Along the SL-A 213, the Área recreativa Raja Ancha offers a viewpoint and a recreational area with barbecue facilities, tables and benches.

If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Pizarra, compare the travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the respective offer pages before choosing your accommodation.

Hiking

The PR-A 118 “Contrastes y Azahar” is an officially approved and signposted circular hiking trail through Pizarra, endorsed by the Andalusian Regional Government, with a total length of 52 kilometres divided into four sections. It passes through riverside orchards with citrus trees as well as dry areas with carob and almond trees and typical cortijos. Along this route, information panels point out Pizarra’s monuments and archaeological remains.

Culture and History

The Museo Municipal de Pizarra is located in the Cortijo Casablanca, also known as Cortijo del Arte. It displays archaeological and ethnographic artefacts as well as works by the American painter Gino Hollander.

The Ermita La Fuensanta was built in the 16th century over an old Mozarabic church partly embedded in the rock and has a single nave carved into the rock. It serves as a natural viewpoint overlooking the citrus-covered Vega, the bridges over the Guadalhorce and the Sierra de las Nieves.

At Castillejos de Quintana, the remains of a Mozarabic settlement are preserved, with numerous dwellings partly sunk into the rock, a former quarry and a necropolis containing around twenty tombs carved entirely into the rock. Castillejos de Luna also contains a Bronze Age necropolis with burials in cist graves.

The Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol is a single-nave Mudéjar church with an intricately designed artesonado wooden ceiling. Its tower has a square ground plan and consists of three storeys: the first two are built of masonry, while the third is made of brick. The baptistery contains a painting of Saint John the Baptist from the first third of the 17th century by an unknown artist. The Torre Árabe de la Cruz in the Sierra de Gibralmora served as a surveillance and communication point between the castles of Álora and Cártama.

Nature

The Monumento Sagrado Corazón de Jesús stands at one of the highest points of the Sierra de Gibralmora and overlooks Pizarra and its Vega. The surroundings of Paraje El Santo are characterised by Mediterranean scrubland and wild-growing trees such as carob trees, wild olive trees, holm oaks, kermes oaks and hackberries.

Between May and August, European nightjars that breed in the area come to El Santo at night to feed on insects attracted by the artificial lighting. The “Subida al Santo” birdwatching trail is 5,290 metres long and can be walked or ridden by mountain bike. The “Gibralmora” birdwatching trail is an 11,000-metre linear route leading to the summit of the Sierra and offering views of the surrounding landscape.

The “La Charcuela” birdwatching trail follows a section of the middle and lower Guadalhorce, where waterbirds, birds of prey, insectivorous birds and granivorous birds can be found, among others. The “La Charcuela” circular birdwatching trail is 3,300 metres long, can be used on foot or by mountain bike and takes an estimated one hour.

Festivals and Cuisine

The “El Santo” Romería takes place every year on 28 February; numerous participants arrive on foot or on horseback. Holy Week in Pizarra is coordinated by three brotherhoods responsible for the processions. The traditional “Rifa” of Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta takes place on 15 August and is recognised as a “Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Andalucía”.

The Ruta de la Tapa has been held in Pizarra since 2007 and is recognised as a “Fiesta Singular de la Provincia de Málaga”. Using a route map, it leads visitors through participating bars and restaurants in Pizarra, where they can try various local tapas.

The Autobús Municipal connects Pizarra with the districts of Cerralba, Zalea and Gibralmora during the daytime from Monday to Friday. Stage 03 runs from Pizarra to Estación de Cártama.

To the higher-level travel overview: Málaga.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Benaoján, Nerja, Genalguacil, Los Puertas, Cartaojal, Ardales, Salares.