El Club · Parauta

The Enchanted Forest of Parauta is a short and familiar route that starts from the town of Parauta, in the Serrania de Ronda, Malaga province, and enters a chestnut grove in the Genal Valley. The main route is usually described as a linear path of about 3 km round trip, with low difficulty and comfortable layout, linkable with the road to Cartajima if you want to extend the march. Its interest is not only in the walk: the itinerary runs between chestnut trees and traditional uses of the mountain, in a mid-mountain landscape very representative of western Malaga. The route incorporates carvings and fantastic figures integrated into the environment, the work of a local artist, which make the route a very attractive proposal for families and for those looking for a short visit without sacrificing the scenic value. The environment of Parauta also stands out for its proximity to areas of high environmental value of the Sierra de las Nieves and the presence of the so-called chestnut forest, especially colorful in autumn, when the chestnut grove takes ocher tones. The combination of nature, white village and artistic elements explains that the resource has gained weight as an interpretive walk and as one of the most frequented trails in the area.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of Parauta, in the province of Malaga, is a parish church of historical origin linked to the old center of the municipality, located in the Serrania de Ronda and the Genal Valley. The sources consulted also cite it as the Church of the Immaculate Conception, equivalent denomination in local and tourist use. It dates from the 16th century, so it belongs to the period of Christian consolidation after the repopulation of the area. The informative bibliography and the tourist materials describe it as a building of Mudejar tradition, with Latin cross plan and Mudejar tower, features that refer to a simple religious architecture but of great patrimonial interest in the rural area of Malaga. In its interior a polychrome sculpture of San Pascual Bailón stands out, attributed as a copy of a model of Pedro de Mena, and a Dolorosa of the XVIII century. These elements reinforce the artistic value of the temple, which preserves devotional pieces from different periods and summarizes the continuity of parish worship in Parauta. Due to its chronology, typology and preserved elements, it is one of the most representative assets of the religious heritage of the town. Its location, in the historic center of Parauta, makes it a key heritage resource to understand the local history and religious identity of the municipality.

Nacimiento del Río Verde is a spring of natural interest located in the municipality of Parauta, in the province of Malaga, at an altitude of 685 meters above sea level. It is located in the surroundings of the Sierra de las Nieves, within a landscape of medium and high mountains closely linked to the hydrology of the massif and its limestone mountains, where groundwater outcrops feed the upper course of the Verde River. The resource stands out because it marks the source of the Verde river, one of the best known and most abundant courses of the western Costa del Sol. The source area is associated with an environment of great scenic and ecological value, with access by mountain roads from the surroundings of Tolox, and has been described as an emblematic place for hikers. In the vicinity there is a predominance of Mediterranean mountain formations and mountain landscapes typical of the Sierra de las Nieves. Its interest is not only scenic: the consulted file places it in the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, within the Natura 2000 Network and the Biosphere Reserve, which reinforces its environmental relevance. In addition, the flow appears as high and is never exhausted according to that source, a circumstance that explains its role in the supply and traditional uses of water in the area. It is, therefore, a mountain spot linked to a permanent water source, valuable for combining geology, hydrology and mountain landscape in a very representative enclave of Parauta.

The Pinsapo de las Escaleretas is a singular specimen of Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo Boiss.), an endemic fir of the Serranía de Ronda, located in Parauta, Málaga, within the Natural Park and National Park of the Sierra de las Nieves. The protected figure occupies 0.19 ha and is catalogued in Andalusia as a natural monument of biotic typology, which underlines the exceptional value of the tree and its immediate surroundings. It is one of the most remarkable Spanish firs for its size and longevity: the sources agree on a height of about 26 meters, a trunk that reaches approximately 5 meters in diameter and a very large crown of about 200 m². Its age is estimated between 350 and 550 years, so it is a living testimony of the maturity of the pinsapares of the sierra and the adaptation of this species to mountain slopes and shady areas. The visit is interesting for the contrast between the great Spanish fir and the surrounding landscape of pinsapar, holm oak and mountain relief. The site is part of an environmental complex of high interest, also integrated in the Biosphere Reserve Sierra de las Nieves and in ZEC and ZEPA areas, so it combines botanical, landscape and conservation value. In guidebooks and tourist information it appears as one of the best known references of the Sierra de las Nieves, and is accessible by trail from the surroundings of Parauta. Its relevance lies not only in the size of the tree, but in representing one of the best preserved examples of the Andalusian Spanish fir.

The Conejeras Recreation Area is a place for public use located in the municipality of Parauta, in the Sierra de las Nieves, Malaga, at about 1,000 m altitude. It is located in a mid-mountain landscape modeled by limestone and dolomites, with karstic relief, dolines, rocky ridges and gently rolling plains. The environment combines well-preserved oak groves with scattered presence of pinsapos, a very characteristic mixture of this mountain sector. What is seen here is interesting for the quality of the landscape and the transition between forest, rock and grassy clearings. From the area there are trails for public use that allow you to walk through the Conejeras mountain and contemplate dense oak forests, rocky areas, meadows on dolines and wide views of the natural environment of Parauta. It is a place especially appreciated for rest and observation of the natural environment in an enclave with easy access. Its environmental relevance is linked to the fact that it is located within the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, a protected area of great biological and geological value. Local sources emphasize that the site is part of one of the best preserved oak groves in the area and cite a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, with Mediterranean scrub, insects and reptiles associated with this mosaic of habitats. In addition to its natural interest, Conejeras functions as an entry point and hiking reference to know the landscape of Parauta, between the Genal Valley and the Sierras Blancas. Its combination of native forest, karst relief and orderly recreational use explains why it is mentioned in local nature routes and guides.