El Chorro & Ardales Lakes

10 minutes away is the fabulous canyon of El Chorro where the Rio Guadalhorce rushes through the rocks (the speed of which depends on the amount of rain - it can slow to a mere trickle at the end of the summer!) You can reach it by train once or twice a day depending on season, you have to get a taxi back or of course you could borrow our mountain bikes.

Imagine three stunningly beautiful turquoise coloured lakes bordered by pine forests. A tranquil retreat where you can swim or fish, or picnic on the lake shore. Hardly sounds like a typical Andalucian scene, does it! But just outside Alora that is what you will find. . Malaga's "Lake District" is in fact three artificial lakes created by a dam built across the dramatic 200 m. high Guadalhorce river gorge, known as the Garganta del Chorro. And then on through the National Park to the Ardales Lakes.

Watch out for the eagles which continually circle around the sheer cliffs. There is a small bridge across the middle of the gorge, built during the construction of the reservoir between 1914 and 1921. The dam was officially opened in 1921 by King Alfonso XIII of Spain and on this occasion he took a walk along the specially constructed catwalk, called El Camino del Rey (The King's Path), pinned to the face of the gorge some 100 meters above the river. This is where a lot of the local rock climbing takes place.

The Camino del Rey, actually dates back to 1906, by some accounts. It is officially closed to the public pending repairs. On January 21 2006 the regional government announced that there were funds available in the 2006 budget to make repairs to the path. There are trained guides who do take visitors along the path. This is not a trek for the faint hearted - or those with vertigo. In addition, climbing and trekking in this area is really only for experienced climbers with proper equipment.

If you simply want to see where the Camino del Rey begins, it can be found by driving across the lower dam into the village of El Chorro, take the track on the left before the railway station, continue past the camp site until you can drive no further. Walk the last few hundred metres The path drops down and skirts the iron girder railway bridge (Von Ryans express was filmed here ).

The village of El Chorro has a bar, a restaurant, a church and railway station. Throughout the year the village is full of back packers and climbers and provides a splendid cosmopolitan atmosphere in the most unlikely setting! It is most crowded in the winter months. When there has been heavy rainfall the waterfalls are really spectacular

The exciting end sequence of Von Ryan's Express, where Frank Sinatra is running after the train through the tunnels cut into the mountain side, was shot here. You can walk round the mountain railway, on the outside of the mountain, where the gunfights took place. There is a secret valley beyond ,however you can be liable for a fine of up to €2000, because you need to walk on the railway to get there. Needless to say this can be dangerous.