Attractions & Activities
- National Parks - Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja
Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja
It is located in the southwest part of Malaga province and
covers 1,236ha. Its highest point has 1,450m. Its name is
due to its reddish hue. Rainwater has oxidised the iron and
magnesium present in the rocks and the iron oxide has coloured
the rock reddish-ginger.
Flora
The sierra's most notable tree is the Spanish fir, which only
grows in Andalucía in this area and the neighbouring
Serranía de Ronda. We can find maritime and Austrian
pines, cork and kermes oaks, junipers and yew trees, some
species of Mediterranean scrubland such as rosemary and dwarf
fan palms and in the rockier there is an endemic species of
garlic, allium rouyi.
Fauna
The most common mammals are the mountain goat, the roe deer
and the Egyptian mongoose. The species of roe deer is unique
to the sierras of Malaga and Cadiz provinces. It is has adapted
to a drier habitat and has evolved different physical features
from other roe deer. There are also otters and wild cats and
raptors as booted eagles, Griffon vultures, sparrow hawks
and eagle and long-eared owls.
There are many reptiles, including salamanders, toads, the
Spanish terrapin (mauremys leproso), the Iberian worm lizard
and the three-toed skink lizard.
Access
You can drive to near the top of Sierra Bermeja in under an
hour. Take the road signposted Genalguacil from the traffic
lights on the Estepona inner bypass (Avda de Andalucia), near
the Mercadona supermarket. This is the MA 557.
About half an hour after leaving Estepona you will reach
"Peñas Blancas" pass. Turn left following
the sign up to "Los Reales".
From Peñas Blancas pass the road also leads down to
Jubrique and to Genalguacil and on to the Gaucin – Ronda
road. In this way one can make an enjoyable half day drive
from Estepona up to Sierra Bermeja and then returning by Gaucin
and Manilva or by Ronda and San Pedro.
Villages nearby are Casares, Estepota and Genalguacil.
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