scenic viewpoint
Caminito del Rey
A thrilling boardwalk pinned to sheer cliff faces above the El Chorro gorge, once called the world's most dangerous path.
8 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeSpainAndalusia
Ardales
Andalusia, Spain · Europe
About Ardales
Ardales is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Carratraca, 28km from El Torcal de Antequera.
Ardales is in Andalusia, Spain, with about 2,600 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Carratraca, about 4 km away.
Ardales is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is approximately 62.5 kilometres from Málaga.
On the hill above the town is the historic church and higher still are the ruins of the Ardales Castle. At the peak of the hillRead more
is the hermitage Ermita del Calvario. The infamous Caminito del Rey is nearby.
It has been claimed that the Cave of Ardales (cueva de doña Trinidad Grund) contains pigments deposited by Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals some 64,800 years ago. This dating, and the possibility of Neanderthal cave art, is disputed on the physical-chemical evidence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ardales?
Within an hour or so of Ardales: Caminito del Rey (8 km), El Torcal de Antequera (28 km), Setenil de las Bodegas (30 km), Ronda & Puente Nuevo (32 km).
Are there any good drives near Ardales?
The nearest famous roads are A-397 San Pedro to Ronda, A-397 Ronda to San Pedro Road and Sierra Nevada road to Pico Veleta (A-395).
Where is Ardales?
Ardales is in Andalusia, Spain, about 4 km from Carratraca.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 2,631
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Andalusia
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 36.8780, -4.8469
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Ardales
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
El Torcal de Antequera
A surreal karst landscape of stacked, pancake-like limestone formations carved by erosion, with ibex roaming the trails.
28 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Setenil de las Bodegas
A white village where houses tuck directly beneath overhanging rock ledges, with bars built into the cliff itself.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Ronda & Puente Nuevo
A breathtaking Andalusian hilltop town bisected by the El Tajo gorge, spanned by the dramatic 18th-century New Bridge.
32 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Ronda Puente Nuevo Viewpoint
The 18th-century bridge spanning the 120-metre-deep El Tajo gorge, splitting the town of Ronda in two with dizzying views into the abyss.
32 km · about 35 min drive
famous road
A-397 San Pedro to Ronda
A smooth, empty mountain road climbing from the Costa del Sol into the Serrania de Ronda, all long radius curves.
33 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
A-397 Ronda to San Pedro Road
A sweeping mountain road climbing from the coast at San Pedro over the Serranía de Ronda, all long curves and cork-oak hills.
34 km · about 40 min drive
photogenic
Júzcar
Serranía de Ronda village painted entirely Smurf-blue for a 2011 film premiere: the residents voted to keep it, and the lone blue pueblo glows against the white villages around it. Reached by a twisting mountain road from Ronda.
40 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Ardales
- Right hereCaminito del ReyA thrilling boardwalk pinned to sheer cliff faces above the El Chorro gorge, once called the world's most dangerous path.
- 32 kmRonda Puente Nuevo ViewpointThe 18th-century bridge spanning the 120-metre-deep El Tajo gorge, splitting the town of Ronda in two with dizzying views into the abyss.
- 33 kmA-397 San Pedro to RondaA smooth, empty mountain road climbing from the Costa del Sol into the Serrania de Ronda, all long radius curves.
- 34 kmA-397 Ronda to San Pedro RoadA sweeping mountain road climbing from the coast at San Pedro over the Serranía de Ronda, all long curves and cork-oak hills.
- 48 kmPuerto de las Palomas, GrazalemaThe 1,357 m 'Pass of the Doves' on the hairpinned CA-9104 between Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema: the signature drive of Andalusia's white villages, with griffon vultures overhead.
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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