Camping Sierra de las Nieves

The peaks, canyons and wildlife of the 20,000-hectare Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park are just to the west: there's climbing, caving, mountain biking, bunjee jumping and hot air ballooning all to be had here, along with 15 hiking trails including the local stretch of the 660-kilometre Great Malaga Path. Access the Great Malaga Path 15 minutes' drive away in El Burgo, for Stage 23 of its route all the way to Ronda and the Costa del Sol; start off at the Juan José Gallardo Mingolla monument or Pasos Largos for spectacular views. More of the same are at the mountaintop city of Ronda, particularly at the gardens of the Paseo de Blas Infante and from the 18th-century bridge over the gorge of the Guadalevín river. As well as Ronda, Marbella and Málaga, it's well worth sorting day trips to some of Andalusia's famed villages of the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos, where some buildings date back to Roman times: top picks include Setenil de las Bodegas (50 minutes' drive) and its houses hanging over the Trejo river; Olvera and Algodonales, within an hour and 15 minutes, and El Gastor and Zahara de la Sierra, within an hour and 20.