Villanueva Del Trabuco: Nature, Trails and Local History

Villanueva Del Trabuco combines striking waterscapes with routes of varying lengths and a history that dates back to the town’s founding. When planning your trip, it’s worth noting the specific differences: some trails are linear, while others are circular; there are also natural landmarks, local history and events with their own dates.

Water, protected areas and karst landscape

The Fuente de los Cien Caños – Nacimiento del Río Guadalhorce Natural Monument is located in Villanueva Del Trabuco. It was designated in 2011 and covers 8.25 hectares. The natural monument is part of the ZEC Sierra de Camarolos. The Fuente de los Cien Caños is also the source of the Río Guadalhorce: here, the waters of the Sierra de San Jorge are collected in irrigation channels.

The Sierra de San Jorge forms a limestone lapiaz several kilometres across. The Laguna de San Jorge lies in a karst depression in this landscape. Thus, the local natural attractions include both the source of a river and a lagoon in a karst depression. If you like to plan your days around specific landscape features, you can also take these places into account when choosing between the routes described.

Hiking trails by length and route

The E4-GR-7 route from Villanueva del Rosario to Villanueva Del Trabuco is a 3.5-kilometre linear trail. It runs from the A-7203 road to the Camino de Gumeo and can be travelled on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. The route is marked with GR waymarkers approved by the Andalusian Mountaineering Federation; signage may change.

The 10-kilometre PR-A-353 Sierra de San Jorge is described as a longer circular route. It starts and ends in Villanueva Del Trabuco at the Fuente de los 100 Caños. The Laguna de San Jorge is listed as a point of interest on this route. The trail guide notes poor trail conditions; check conditions before setting out, as they may change.

The PR-A 394 Sierra Gorda is a 19-kilometre circular route from the Camino de Borreguero to the Camino de Gumeo in Villanueva Del Trabuco. It passes through the ZEC Sierra de Camarolos and can be travelled on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. The Cueva de Toma y Bebe and the Mirador Alto de Hondonero are listed as points of interest on the PR-A 394. Comparing the trail lengths and routes provides a clear guide: the E4-GR-7 is linear, while the PR-A-353 and PR-A 394 are described as circular routes. This does not indicate how long the routes take; choose a trail based on its stated length and your plans for the day.

More experiences and local history

The Vía Ferrata de la Pita combines vertical sections with bridges and exposed passages. One described route to the car park follows the Camino Borreguero, passes the Cortijo Borreguero and continues to a crossroads. Road conditions may change, so check the route before driving.

There are also places to visit in town beyond the trails. The Iglesia Parroquial dates from the founding of Villanueva Del Trabuco as part of Charles III’s resettlement plans. It is described as the town’s only monument worth seeing. If you plan a visit, check the latest access information beforehand. The Alma craft brewery offers public tours and tastings of its craft beer; it’s best to confirm your visit in advance.

Events and when to visit

The Ruta Lunar is a traditional summer equestrian event in Villanueva Del Trabuco. It brings together riders from different parts of Andalusia every year. The 2026 edition described here covered about 20 kilometres through the town’s natural landscapes by moonlight. This distance applies to that edition; if you’d like to plan your trip around the event, check the date for the relevant year.

At its 18th edition in August 2026, the Encuentro de Coleccionismo combined the buying and selling and exhibition of collectibles with activities, classic cars and offerings especially appealing to children and young people. This example illustrates a different kind of event from the Ruta Lunar: collectibles and related activities take centre stage here, while the other is a summer equestrian event. If you’re planning a hotel stay around a specific event, it’s a good idea to check the dates before booking. If you’re choosing your stay primarily based on the trails, you can first compare the short linear route with the two circular routes.

Discover more destinations: Coín, Sayalonga, Macharaviaya, Jimera De Líbar, Cartajima, Álora, Comares, Cuevas De San Marcos.

For the broader travel overview: Málaga.