Olive Branch El Chorro

This part of southern Spain is home to hundreds of scalable cliffs and crags and is a firm favourite with climbing fans, many of whom head here in the cooler months. Most of the staff at Olive Branch El Chorro are climbers themselves, so feel free to get chatting and ask them about the top routes in the area. It's also an easy drive from here to the Caminito del Rey trail (20 minutes' drive), a spectacular eight-kilometre boardwalk that cuts right through some of the area's most impressive crags and valleys. Protective headgear is provided on arrival in case of falling rocks, and while it’s not quite as vertigo-inducing as clambering over sheer rock faces, you'll still need a head for heights to get the most out of the views on offer here. Getting out of the mountains and down into Álora (half an hour) is another option, where there's an old Arab castle. Hardcore history buffs, meanwhile, should head to Antequera (45 minutes), where the Alcazaba (a well-preserved Moorish fort) and megalithic tombs make for ace ancient explores.