El Torcal de Antequera is a special place that surprises you with its strange and varied forms in which the limestone rocks eroded by wind and water over thousands of years.
Located in the province of Málaga in Andalusia, eight kilometers south of Antequera, just 50 kilometers north of Málaga, Torcal is made of limestone that originated between 250 and 150 million years ago and was a place where at that time you had a very long passage which joined the sea from the Gulf of Cadiz to Alicante, so from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
The rocks originally formed the seabed here and have slowly changed over millions of years. The exuberant flora and fauna constitute an extra at this beautiful place, which is considered unique in Europe. Torcal was also the home of the prehistoric man. Remains of the Neolithic inhabitants are found in various places, the most important is Cueva del Toro.
Torcal was the first Andalusian protected area (in 1929) and in 1978 it was declared a nature park. Since 1989 it is recognized as a place of interest with respect to the flora and fauna. The tree growth in the El Torcal Natural Park is typical for mountain environments and consists of maples, elders, oaks, hawthorn and blackthorn, interspersed with other plant life, including thyme, ivy, ferns, moss, peonies and irises. As to the animal world, the area has about 150 different species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including several species of mountain goats, foxes, mountain cats, lizards, scorpions, snakes, spiders, et cetera. Many vultures, eagles, hawks, swifts and other birds such as owls are found in this area. The place was declared a protected area for birds.
El Torcal lies 55 km from the finca.