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New Via Ferreta overhead adventure trail open in El Colmenar, Málaga
There are 22 ‘vía ferrata’ trails of varying difficulty levels in Málaga province, ideal for those who are looking for more than a gentle walk through the woods.
Málaga provincial council has announced the launch of a new ‘vía ferrata’ adventure trail, the El Caimán, in El Colmenar (Cortes de la Frontera).
The active tourism attraction cost 18,000 euros to create and is 300 metres long. The route, setting off from the car park, takes about 3 hours to complete and has a K4 (very difficult) rating. It includes four ‘monkey bridges’ and a 60-metre-long ‘Tibetan bridge’ followed by a horizontal overhang. In the winter, one of the bridges passes a stunning waterfall.
However, if that sounds a little too taxing, there are other, easier trails that members of the public can have a go on first, although these are not designed for those who don´t take this type of action sport seriously.
Málaga is the Spanish province with the most ‘vías ferratas’, which are sports facilities in nature with horizontal and vertical itineraries equipped with climbing devices, handrails, chains, hanging bridges and zip lines to help hikers access otherwise hard to reach areas, due to its spectacular scenery and desire to push for this type of active tourism.
More than 100,000 members of the public use the trails, located in Álora, Archidona, Atajate, Benadalid, Benalauría, Benaoján, Comares, Cortes de la Frontera, Cuevas de San Marcos, Gaucín, Igualeja, Jimera de Líbar, Montejaque, Ronda, Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco, every year.
As difficulty levels vary from one to another, it’s advisable to look them up on www.malaga.es/es/turismo/naturaleza/tp-V%C3%ADa%20ferrata/naturaleza first to see what they’re like and what equipment you may need to take.
It is also advisable to check before setting off to make sure they’re open, as sometimes they are closed in nesting season or for maintenance.
