Escapes around Malaga province during El mes de las flores

These routes allow you to explore the province’s inland and coastal areas this May from a lesser-known perspective, where many surprises await

Javier Almellones

Málaga

May transforms Malaga into a map of different colours. You don’t need to trek into the countryside to see it, just take a stroll ... through some of its villages to see how the well-kept whitewashed buildings compliment the flowerpots during their best season.

This guide compiles several easy day trips for those looking for things to see in Malaga over the coming weeks, from the Axarquía to the Serranía de Ronda and the Costa del Sol, with itineraries that combine well-known spots with others that tend to go unnoticed.

It is not your typical list, but rather a selection of routes designed to help you enjoy el mes de las flores (the month of flowers) at a leisurely pace, while constantly discovering something new.

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   At the foot of the Almijara mountain range: Frigiliana, Competa and Canillas de Albaida

In this area of La Axarquia, May has a particularly vibrant beginning. It starts in Frigiliana, one of the most beautiful villages in Andalusia.

From there, the route can be extended to Competa, a natural balcony overlooking the region, and to the quieter Canillas de Albaida, with that air of discovery that is retained in some inland villages. All of these villages are connected by a road that allows you to visit them in a single day at a leisurely pace.

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   Second line beach: Torrox Pueblo, Algarrobo Pueblo, Sayalonga, old town of Vélez and Iznate

Some distance from the sea, yet never losing sight of the Mediterranean, this itinerary offers a unique way to experience the Axarquia in May. Torrox Pueblo opens the route with a historic centre that blends the whitewashed walls with the colours of the flower pots. The highlight is Calle Nerja.

For its part, Algarrobo retains that Andalusian layout of narrow, steep streets that invite you to wander aimlessly. From there, Sayalonga adds its own character with unique spots and is famous for celebrating el dia del Nispero (Medlar Day) every first Sunday in May.

This itinerary also takes you to one of the region’s great, lesser-known treasures: the old medina of Vélez-Málaga, known as La Villa, where sections of the city walls, colourful pedestrian arcades and traces of its Moorish past around the fortress are still preserved. The route can be rounded off in Iznate, a small village perched above the Vélez river valley, where the streets, well-maintained by the locals, and the sweeping views towards the coast allow you to end the day with a different perspective on this part of the province.

1. 3

   Route through the Alminares: from Archez, Satares, Dalmalos or Corumbela

Amidst mosques and streets that still capture the spirit of Al-Andalus, this itinerary offers one of the most unique routes through the heart of the Axarquia.

What for years has been mistakenly known as the Mudéjar Route is now more accurately identified as the Minaret Route, in reference to those ancient mosque towers that still stand today, incorporated into churches, particularly in villages such as Archez or Salares.

A route is organised around them, starting in the hamlets of Daimalos or Corumbela and linking small villages where the Al-Andalus legacy is not merely a relic, but part of the everyday landscape: narrow streets, whitewashed passageways and corners that invite you to pause and look around.

1. 4

   Lower Genal: Jubrique, Genalguacil, Benarrabá, Algatocín and Gaucín.

At the western end of the Sierra de Ronda lies a route where the landscape and the villages go hand in hand. Between Jubrique, Genalguacil, Benarrabá, Algatocín and Gaucín, there is a trail where May makes its presence felt at every turn, thanks to the care with which the locals maintain the streets, squares and buildings.

In Jubrique, the passageways and arches invite you to lose yourself amongst flowerpots and chimneys that still recall its past; in Genalguacil, contemporary art blends with that typical mountain charm that turns it into an open-air museum; whilst in Benarrabá or Algatocín, the Andalusian heritage is clearly evident in their urban layout.

The route gains height and perspective in Gaucín, where the spot known as the ‘Balcony of the Serranía’ allows you to round off the day with one of the most sweeping views of the southern peninsula, between the Genal and Guadiaro valleys and, on clear days, with the Strait in the background.

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   Upper and Middle Genal: From Benalauría to Pujerra

This route is set in the same valley as the previous suggestion, but has a distinct feel. Here, the route gains in altitude and variety, with villages that seem to nestle amongst chestnut groves, which at this time of year are already displaying the lush green of their leaves.

From Benalauría, hidden behind a hill that forces you to turn off the main road, to Pujerra or Cartajima, where in recent years art and colour have also found their place on the façades, there is a route which offers a more leisurely version of this valley.

In Benadalid, with its castle at the entrance and its streets full of parapets and flowerpots, one can clearly sense the Andalusian past, whilst in other places the focus shifts to the landscapes and the little surprises that await round corners.

Among them is Atajate, one of the smallest villages in Serrania, where the houses still bear the names or nicknames of their inhabitants next to their doors – a detail that speaks volumes about the identity of this region.

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   Second line beach: from Benalmádena Pueblo to Manilva

This route links some of the old town centres that best combine traditional Andalusian charm with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. From Benalmadena Pueblo, which retains its original character despite the tourist traffic along its coastline, to Manilva, at the westernmost tip of the province, the route offers a mix of well-preserved historic centres, natural enclaves and stunning viewpoints.

Along the way, you’ll come across iconic villages such as Mijas Pueblo, with its network of whitewashed streets and its sanctuary carved into the rock, or Casares, which perches on the mountainside without losing sight of the sea.

There are also others that offer a different flavour, such as Ojén or Istán, which officially belong to another region, the Sierra de las Nieves, and where the mountainous landscape is even more pronounced.

Or Benahavís, which combines its tradition as a white village with a natural setting marked by gorges and mountain ranges. The result is a varied route, where the colour of the façades and flower pots coexists with sweeping views towards the coast in one of the most diverse stretches in the entire province.

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   A stone's throw from the sea: Marbella and Estepona

Nestled along the Mediterranean coast, the historic centres of two towns renowned for their beaches and delightful seafront promenades await visitors.

Marbella and Estepona demonstrate that the heart of their respective town centres remains one of their greatest assets at this time of year. Beyond their image linked to the coast, both towns offer the chance to rediscover a network of streets in May where the whitewashed walls and the colours of the flower pots take centre stage once more.

In Marbella, the area around Plaza de los Naranjos and the remains of its ancient city walls invite you to take a stroll that connects different periods of its history, whilst in Estepona this same route has been reinvented in recent years, transforming its centre into the well-known ‘Garden of the Costa del Sol’, with pedestrianised streets full of flowers and artistic attractions such as the Route of the Murals.

Two separate approaches to the same concept: that of strolling unhurriedly through town centres which, despite their popularity with tourists, still retain hidden corners that surprise those who take the time to look closely.

*Fortunately, there are plenty more picturesque villages to visit this May, such as Montecorto, Monda, Casarabonela, Benaoján and Montejaque, to name but a few.