The water falls straight down, with rage. It seems to enjoy the flight until its landing in the so-called Charco de la Virgen, a crystalline and unique pool, shy, hidden among shadows and hills. The waterfall that fills this natural pool is almost 20 meters high and is, however, the little sister of another located a few minutes up the trail. It is called La Rejía and is formed by three drops that total just over 100 meters of fall. Surrounded by a green mantle, with humidity floating in the air among ferns and orchids, it is quite a feat that seems taken from a tropical country. But this is not Costa Rica, it is a Mediterranean enclave accessible by a simple walk from Tolox.
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This simple white village of almost 2,500 inhabitants in the interior of the province of Málaga serves as the gateway to the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. Surrounded by overwhelming nature, it preserves a street layout of Nasrid origin, maintains its traditions, and offers cuisine as humble as it is tasty.
“Sorry, I hadn’t seen you. You know stars aren’t visible during the day,” says José Coto, 52 years old and owner of the Mancilla bar for most of those years, in a flattering tone. He dedicates the phrase to a village neighbor who had been sitting on the business terrace for a couple of minutes waiting for her breakfast. “Everything here is good, except the waiter,” he jokingly says later to some visitors who order coffee and a pitufo mixto — the classic Málaga roll with grilled York ham, melted cheese, and a bit of butter — to gather energy to explore this small town and its natural surroundings. “Ask at the tourist office: here you can do everything,” recommends Coto with a tray in hand as he walks through the tables spread out in the Plaza de la Constitución, where the Town Hall, Local Police, and Civil Guard are housed in the same building. The Church of San Miguel Arcángel, built in 1505, is just a couple of slopes higher.
The image of a lady sweeping the door of her house among colorful pots is a reality here every morning, but also a mural painted on a whitewashed wall. Scattered in other spots, there is also one of a girl refreshing herself with a glass of water, another of a donkey drinking at a fountain, one of an avocado picker, some insects, or panoramas of the surroundings. Even a mural of a simple tin bucket. These pieces were made at the Art Tolox meeting, a cultural initiative that gathers artists every year at the end of summer and will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2026.
A map locates each work and serves as an excuse to explore the town’s alleys from end to end. It is worth doing it calmly through the upper neighborhood, with tiny passages, dozens of plants overflowing from their pots, and rough baseboards that protect houses against humidity. Near the Museum of Popular Arts (García Rey, 1), some of these small streets allow the reconstruction of the floor plan of an old castle, which is referenced as early as the 9th century when the rebel Omar Ibn Hafsun occupied it. It passed into Christian hands, already at the end of the 15th century, who allowed Muslim residents to stay — as long as they declared themselves their vassals — around here. The similarities of this corner with the villages of the Granada Alpujarra are no coincidence.
At the other end of the village, a charming tree-lined promenade leads to El Balneario, inaugurated in the 19th century, specialized in respiratory treatments by taking advantage of the sulfurous waters of the area and featuring a beautiful hotel with a pool. It is open from June to October but is an interesting reference point all year round because several hiking routes start next to it. “There is something for all levels,” says Elena González, 39 years old, passionate about adventure since she was little and who decided to create her company in 2011. Today, Aventúrate Sierra de las Nieves carries out environmental activities for schools or groups and also offers numerous active tourism options ranging from caving to climbing, canyoning, or 4×4 vehicle routes. Also by electric bike, with mid-mountain routes on forest tracks that allow savoring the landscapes of these mountains and their fusion with cultivated areas — olive groves, cereals, vegetable gardens with vegetables and fruit trees — irrigated from ancient Nasrid-origin acequias.
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Among her proposals are also guided walks along trails. The woman from Tolox recommends hikes such as the one that goes among fir trees through the Tajo de la Caína (already in the nearby municipality of Yunquera) and, for the more adventurous, the ascent to Torrecilla. At 1,919 meters, it is the second highest peak in Málaga and requires good physical condition: it is about 14 kilometers of nonstop ascent to overcome an elevation gain of almost 1,500 meters.
“That’s why the waterfall route is ideal: it is suitable for everyone, you really enjoy the water, and it has changing vegetation as you advance,” González explains about this walk of about 10 kilometers that, at a relaxed pace, can be done in four hours. At its start, it crosses two wooden bridges over the Caballos River and then continues along the bank among pools, ideal for a dip when the heat hits. This year’s rains have left a wider path, with fallen trees and landslides, so you have to be careful. The river is crossed a couple of times before reaching, first, the Charco de la Virgen and, later, La Rejía. The trail finally returns among peridotites, matagallos, bolinas, and pine groves until it falls, again, into Tolox. Along the way, dozens of bird species can be observed, such as the blue treecreeper, the European robin, or the serin. To not miss them, you just have to pay attention.
The last stretch shares a small botanical trail of barely 700 meters — gentle and family-friendly — where, among many others, up to 28 native species grow: from the fir to the palmito, the aulaga, the juniper, or the rockrose. Beyond that, the walking options are endless. The ascent to the Cruz del Padre Ventura passes by the 14 stations of a Way of the Cross, and a parallel excursion to the Horcajos River — and its old flour mills — reaches the hermitage that houses the Virgin of the Snows. At its feet, a recreational area in the shade of a pine forest is ideal for a picnic. The route is the same as the pilgrimage that every May carries the image there on a carriage pulled by mules or oxen.
Málaga kid goat and sopa tolita
“They are fixing many paths and since the pandemic more and more people come. On weekends this is almost a fair,” admits José María Sánchez, who in the summer of 2017 opened the restaurant La Lola in an old television studio in the upper part of Calvario Street in Tolox. The Málaga kid goat roasted with rosemary and thyme or the pork knuckle are two of his specialties, but also the salmorejo with Idiazábal cheese and Iberian crispy and the steak tartar of beef sirloin. Off the menu, sometimes he offers sopa tolita, a local dish that must be tried. On his terrace, in the sun and with beautiful views of the town, it is worth ordering the house wine, a very young white made by Sánchez and his family from the unique perruna grape they cultivate themselves.
Back in the town center, El Rincón de Rafael (calle Encina, 78) has shrimp skewers, good ham, and generous portions. At Enebro Restaurante (avenida Balneario, 20), with its newly earned Solete Repsol, chef Ángela Sedeño serves charcoal-grilled octopus, grilled meats, and tasty options for vegetarians with vegetables from the Hevilla family, as well as incredible local olives and homemade desserts. La Alberca (Encina, 53) has a great terrace to enjoy the daily menu — which includes traditional spoon dishes like rich lentils or a good salmorejo — and grilled meats. On weekends, the Mancilla bar also offers tapas at midday. With cod as the star (“it has a secret that cannot be revealed,” according to its owner), it also offers secreto, chicken wings, Russian salad, or homemade tripe. The business closes every afternoon when its regulars leave. And there are few desires to leave. Hurry is left outside the Sierra de las Nieves.
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