Welcome to our friends and families to Villa Chile

Competa Nature Walks

Competa Nature Walks are some of the most popular things to when visiting the Competa region. The National Park, the Sierras Almijara and the Tejeda all rise directly behind the village and offer a huge variety of walking routes.

The summer weather in Competa is very hot, so an active walking holiday during summer is not recommended as the best time to chose for a walking holiday. During autumn, winter and spring the weather is usually 10-15 degrees centigrade higher than the UK and these are the best months for a walking holiday in this area.

Almond Blossoms in Competa

Rainbow in Competa

Spaniards in general are not fans of nature walks, so it frequently happens that while you are walking you won't encounter any locals walking.

Walking guides for the Competa area

There are 25 walks in and around Competa and Canillas de Albaida. All have been documented and written in English by Albert and Dini Kraaijenzank. The publication is on sale in many shops in Competa village.

Whilst this book has many is a useful tips about walking in Competa, unfortunately the accompanying maps are not reliable.

Here's a list of some of the more popular walks in Competa.

Archez (330 meters).
Canillas de Aceituno (630 meters).
Canillas de Albaida (640 meters).
Competa-Observation hut (1139 meters).
Fabrica de Luz-Competa (7 hours).
La Maroma (2067 meters).
Trial walk Competa (640 meters).
Rio Torrox (430 meters).
Salares (610 meter).

Return to top menu

Walk of the three white villages - Competa, Archez and Canillas de Albaida

Places to see en route

Cómpeta –16th century La Asunción church, climb the tower, and admire the vistas across the Axarquia as far as Gibraltar and north Africa on a clear day.

Visit the wine museum with its wide range of local produce, and the grape press in Plaza Vendimia, where grape treading takes place during the Noche del Vino (not en route, but worth a visit).

Archez – like so many villages in the Axarquia area, Archez is typically Arabic in its design. Visit the magnificent minaret of the former mosque with its diamond patterned (sebka) material and tiling.

Canillas de Albaida – see the Roman bridge below the village; the 16th century parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Expectación in the main square and the two shrines; the 16th century Santa Ana; and the 17th century San Antón.

Routes

Along the route you will see way marker posts installed by the town hall with the intention of providing a marked walking trail, along with interpretive boards giving information about the area.

Starting from the picturesque Plaza Almijara in the centre of Cómpeta, head down La Rampa, turn right at the bottom and pass the Museo del Vino on your right. Bear left and pass the post office (a car park with a warehouse-style building) on your left and the florists on your right, continue until you reach the Cómpeta to Canillas de Albaida road.

Turn right, and walk a short distance along the road to the Bodega Jarel, turn left and follow the track which goes almost parallel with the road for a few metres before dropping down into the valley. Ignore track going off to the right to Finca Maroma and pass the entrance to Casa Cantalejo to the right of the track, and then past Casa Clarissa. Just past a large green water tank that can be seen down to the right of the path you come to a 4 way junction. Just here there is a sign “Camino de Archez” pointing you in the right direction.

There are some nice fincas along this route and you’ll no doubt encounter a campesino or two who wants to invite you in for a glass of sweet potent vino. Keep to the main track and don’t deviate off to the right until you come to a four way track.

Turn right steeply downhill on a new track, there is a handwritten sign on the fence opposite to Camino de Archez and there may be a chain across the track to stop motor vehicles. Continue downhill to a sharp right hand hairpin bend in the track. Ahead is a wire fence with concrete posts and some rather rusty electricity pylons.

There is a second handwritten sign for Camino de Archez that you follow off the track onto a quite badly eroded footpath which follows the line of the fence downhill. You can see Archez in the valley below, follow the new path past a farmhouse with a white walled threshing area, continue on along the path until it meets a road. Follow the track down again until you come to the Sayalonga to Archez road. Turn right on to the road.

You then have two choices of the route you would like to take to Canillas de Albaida, but while you are pondering, relax in one of the friendly bars in the village.

The first option takes you behind Bar Archez overlooking the gorge and past the town hall. Follow the road upwards past the interesting shell-shaped houses. When you arrive at the top of the hill, bear right, and visit the shrine Santa Ana. Continue up the hill and you will see Bar Cerezo on your left – a very friendly bar which is popular with the locals, and serves excellent vino de terreno and tapas.

The second option is to bear left on to the Corumbela road – stop off at Bar El Curro which serves excellent tapas – then bear right up the long hill. The views along the road are fantastic and you can look down on Archez and see its layout and the minaret from a different angle. When you reach the top, turn right and follow the road towards Canillas de Albaida.

Pass Finca Cerillo on the right, and as you start to descend into the valley, you will see a track off to the right with a post marking the spot. Turn right and follow the goat track down into the valley.

You will come to the Roman bridge which is a nice place for a picnic, then climb up to the road. You then have the option of going along the road which winds up to the village, or following the track straight ahead. Either way you will arrive in Canillas de Albaida, and a welcome stop at Bar Cerezos.

Leaving the bar, climb up the slope to the Cómpeta road, turn right, and follow the road back to Cómpeta.

About a mile from the village, just past the turning up to the quarry and the riding stables, there is a track to the left. It is a lovely winding track and the views to the coast are stupendous. By following this track, you will arrive in Cómpeta near the Balcón de Europa. Pass the Balcón on your right and take the left fork along Calle San Antonio.

You will then arrive back in the Plaza Almijara where you can enjoy a well deserved drink and tapas. There are a number of options for routes back to Cómpeta from Canillas de Albaida, and these should be clearly sign posted.

Walk of the 3 white village with courtesy of www.iberacal.com

Return to top menu

Rules of the Sierras Mountains

1. From May through to October it rarely rains so everything is very dry - please, never make a fire in the National Park and never throw away cigarette ends during your walks.
2. Always take plenty of drinking water and sun protection - including a sensible sun hat/cap.
3. Always wear long trousers and good quality walking shoes.
4. The weather in the mountains can change very quickly/abruptly, so don’t walk alone, especially not on the higher walks.
5. Always take a fully charged mobile phone, a reliable map of the walk you have chosen, and extra waterproof/warm clothing with you.
6. The emergency number to call is 112

On most walks you can enjoy some truly unforgettable/spectacular views. When the weather is clear, you can look south see as far as the Atlas mountains of Morocco, as far south as Gibraltar, as well as Sierra Nevada in the east.

Thank you for visiting Villa Chile website

Return to top menu