Marbella - Puerto de las Golondrinas - Tolox - Marbella

This is an 82 km route and at its highest point reaches 862 metres. We set off from around the bus station in Marbella, keep going towards the mountain and pass the Hotel Don Miguel before reaching La Montúa. After about 850 metres, take the lane to the left which leads you past the new Marbella cemetery before joining the Carretera de Ojén and up the mountain pass.
Having reached the Puerto de Ojén, there’s a long downhill stretch which leaves behind the Juanar shelter. We then go right, leave the road, and after 200 metres there’s another diversion to the left which takes us onto a badly maintained road to the left.
After that, there’s a 30km track to Tolox. If we keep on to the left, it’ll take us to the River Verde and Istán. We have to take the diversion to the right towards Tolox. Again, there are several short sleep slopes before reaching Puerto de las Golondrinas.
From here we keep going until we reach one of the highest points on the route. After a slight climb, the path begins to descend sharply and in a few kilometres we get to Tolox.
Without going far into the town, we veer to the right, passing a little square to the left.
We then cross the town, which is crowned by a castle and has panoramic views of the Guadalhorce Valley. An intense and lengthy climb begins here.
After leaving Monda the local highway immediately takes us back on to the first route that took us to Llanos (plains) de Purla. On getting back onto the regional highway again at these plains, we cross the iron bridge indicated before at the start of the dirt track surrounding Sierra Blanca, which we can see below to the right. All that’s left is to go up to the Puerto de Ojén once more and begin the final descent into Marbella, where speed, wind and the traffic will be the most notable elements.