As someone born and raised on the Costa del Sol, how much longer could I put off hiking up one of Malaga’s most popular peaks, La Concha? Well, on January 2, 2025, in true New Year's resolution fashion, the urge to climb La Concha finally won.
The "beginner-friendly" hike would unknowingly bring an experience filled with trial, error, and mild anxiety. Now, two months later, I want to share the experience my group and I had, with the hope that this firsthand account can help you set realistic expectations and ensure your La Concha hike is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Know Before You Go
Our route to the summit, and the most popular, was Refugio de Juanar — La Concha, which totals around 14 km and took us a little over 4 hours to complete. It is the most accessible route, its alternative being Istán — La Concha which is considered to be more strenuous, in addition to starting at an elevation of 500 m.
Starting from Refugio de Juanar at 800 m above sea level, you'll gradually ascend to the 1,215 m summit of La Concha.
Open me to see some often-overlooked tips that can make a significant difference to your La Concha experience:
Pets: From January to April the pine processionary caterpillars are most active, they are poisonous to dogs and humans alike, so it’s best to leave your animals at home during this time.
Clothing: Sweatproof workout clothes, a hoodie/jacket for temperature changes, long pants to protect your legs from scratches when scrambling, and hiking shoes for ankle support.
Weather & Time: Avoid hiking when risking rain or fog and be sure to estimate you have enough time to complete your hike before sunset. Visibility and balance are crucial.
Signal Is Unreliable: Your phone may frequently lose and regain connection.
Trail Markings Are Unreliable: Markers are faded and sporadic. Past hikers have spray-painted arrows on rocks but these are still easy to miss. It is advisable to download or print a trail map and never hesitate to ask others for directions.
Safety First: Let someone know your plans, don’t hike solo without experience, and understand that accidents can happen. La Concha has a history of fatalities.
Is This For Me?: Don’t let age or athleticism hold you back. However, if you struggle with heights, vertigo, or other health conditions, be aware that this is a demanding hike throughout.
Alternative for a Safer Experience: If you would like breathtaking views with guaranteed safety, Caminito del Rey is a great option.
Is La Concha Truly a Beginner-Friendly Hike?
The short answer? No.
But it’s doable.
Many online guides and reviews describe La Concha as a “moderate” hike, suitable for beginners who want a high-reward trek with relatively low effort. To me, these opinions don't consider the diversity of those interested in taking up the challenge.
People hiking up are from various ages and backgrounds. As a group that loves small talking with passersby, I can tell you virtually all of them were shocked by how dangerous the path to the summit truly is. Many people choose to turn back after realizing their expectations don't align with reality and how one mistake can lead you down a tough path.
Our Start: Arriving at Refugio de Juanar
The most popular route up starts from Refugio de Juanar, a hotel nestled within the forest of Ojén. Driving there, expect a sudden turn after the Refugio de Juanar sign on the A-355, leading to the MA-5300. This will take you up a winding road through the mountains, with many sharp, narrow turns, until you reach the hotel's sign.
Parking tip: Instead of parking in front of the hotel, turn left and keep driving up the gravel path, you’ll see parked cars on your way but continue driving up until you reach a green gate. There, you’ll find a parking area much closer to the trail. You’ll thank yourself for that shorter walk once you get back.
I recommend visiting the Refugio de Juanar Hotel after your hike. Inside you'll see a collection of relics and can also visit the charming, foliage-enveloped restaurant that offers some great Andalusian dishes.
And So Our Hike Begins
Joining me on this girls' trip were my mother and her friend (both fit and active in their mid-40s), her friend's very patient 14-year-old daughter, my good friend, and me, both in our early 20s.
After parking the car, we followed a gently inclined path lined with olive trees. Sticking to the trail posts, we soon entered a denser, shaded forest, perfect for mushroom picking. This section is an easy, enjoyable start through the Spanish fir forests of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, one of three national parks in Andalusia.
The Climb Toward Puerto de Las Allanas
Beyond the forest, the trail continues with a 700-meter-long ascent, gaining 147 meters in elevation (from ~927 m to ~1074 m). With an average gradient of 19.3%, this is considered a steep and demanding section.
It all depends on your comfort with inclines. If you're just climbing up to the Cruz de Juanar viewpoint, this will be the most strenuous and technical part of the hike. Expect a rocky, uneven trail, where you'll need to step up tree roots and boulders. Pace yourself, and take breaks as needed. I've seen people of all ages climb up, many with hiking poles, which seem appropriate for this section to help with balance on the tricky terrain.
Cruz de Juanar or La Concha?
The top of this steep climb is known as Puerto de Las Allanas, where a trail post marks:
Toward the left → Cruz de Juanar
Toward the right → La Concha
Cruz de Juanar offers a shorter experience than La Concha, but with equally stunning coastal views 1180 m above sea level. From the trail post it's a 0.36 km trek with an elevation gain of 97 meters. At its peak, you're rewarded with the iconic metal cross and panoramic views of Marbella..or clouds.
Feel free to continue right, toward La Concha. The coastline view in this section is equally impressive, and the trail ahead is more of a stroll and nowhere near as difficult as what you've already overcome.
On this path, you'll eventually reach another trail post. In the photo of our group, contrary to what you'd expect, you'll actually be continuing left, downward behind the post. The trail often is questionable, a recurring challenge with La Concha.
The goal is to follow the white and yellow markers. However, this will prove to be difficult, as the markers are oftentimes painted on random rocks, faded, and easy to miss. Fortunately, past hikers have taken it upon themselves to graffiti arrows, but it’s best to ask passersby for reassurance on directions.
Chains: Once and Never Again
Here comes the first set of chains attached to the cliffside, where you'll need to hold on tightly all while sheer drops are right under you. For this reason, it's not ideal to bring a dog on a leash. The rocks are stable, offering just a fun adrenaline rush, but if you’re afraid of heights or prone to vertigo… the rest of the climb won't get any easier.
Warning: This is the only time chains are a good sign that you're on the easiest path.
The rest of the walk after this was smooth, and we naively thought the worst was behind us. Along the way, we passed people heading back down and asked, "How much longer to the summit?" The response was always "30 minutes," which felt ironic after the two hours it took us to finally reach the top.
Looking back, we realized the reason for this may be because the hike without a guide is very subjective, and you can choose to turn back at any point. Not everyone walking La Concha aims to reach the summit.
The Big Mistake
After continuing on the path from the first set of chains, marked mainly by footprints rather than official trail markers, we would eventually reach another trail post where you see the mountains ridge. I learned this ridge section is known as “Salto del Lobo” (Wolf’s Jump), which is often confused with the first set of chains by reviewers and bloggers.
We continued on the left side of the mountain (facing the sea).
Do not continue on the left side. Stick to the Salto del Lobo's right side, merging with the Istán — La Concha trail, it may feel like a detour, but it's on the safer side of the mountain.
We were soon met with more chains, even more sketchy than the first. But the adrenaline rush took over, and we pushed on, laughing at how much more intense this hike was than we had anticipated, debating every so often whether or not we should turn back, and unsure of what was ahead.
Eventually, we spotted a couple making their way back down from the summit. They advised us to stick to the right side. We stuck to the right side, and after our extra chain experience, scrambling on all fours up the ridge was a breeze.
Expect to scramble. Your footing will usually be secure, but the heights are no joke. This was the same route we took on the way back, and while it was fun, it sure looks crazy from the pictures.
So... a big mistake on our part, completely our fault. Or was it? Because we weren’t the only ones making those mistakes that day.
Our 6.5 km hike back down from the summit was smooth sailing, taking us a total of 2 hours and we even found a great addition to our group. A young man in his late 20's who, you guessed it, also was shocked by the difficulty of the trail and also took the extra chains unintentionally.
This underestimation of La Concha seems common, especially with the amount of sources offering few warnings and claiming how “easy” this hike is. What this hike really is, is easy to mess up.
S.B.B. Summit, Bench and Beer
But hey, ultimately, we accomplished our goal and have amazing memories to look back on and laugh at. And honestly, I can't wait to do it again.
So, I urge you to go and explore this one-of-a-kind national park for yourself. Whether you choose to stroll through the forests of Sierra de las Nieves, take a picture at the Cruz de Juanar cross, or hoist yourself up that peak to drink that beer on that La Concha bench. Whatever you choose, it’s gonna be one hell of a memory you won't regret.
Don’t let age or athleticism hold you back. I hope that by sharing our experience, I could contribute to expanding the available information on this amazing hike and offer you explorers the insight you deserve.
Happy scrambling!
Comments