Alhaurin El Grande to Mijas

Stamina! Stamina!! Stamina!!! That’s what is needed for the first part of this linear tour between Alhaurin El Grande and Mijas. I had visited Mijas and was extremely disappointed when Alhaurin El Grande turned out to be nothing like as pretty. The only thing I found of interest was a Moorish Arch, and that was partially reconstructed. I started recording the tour from the bus station in the town, so it includes my trip round some of the city streets.
The start of the tour rejoices in the name of Camino del Tejar and eventually becomes a broad stony track (wide as a road) and climbs up and up, round a bend, up and up, round another bend and so on. That’s where the stamina in necessary, or just sheer determination to keep going. Eventually, the reward is in great views over the plains and even to the sea, though, at this stage, you may be becoming too tired to enjoy them.
The climbing eventually stopped at Pico de Mijas and the path turned downwards. This was where I got lost. No matter what way I tried I couldn’t get from where I was to where I wanted to be. I evem considered giving up and making my way back to Alhaurin El Grande.
The map showed that it was possible to get from the trail I was on to my planned trail, but that meant walking downhill to join the Camino de la Sierra only later to have a steep clamber up a bank. At first, it had stone steps, but they petered out. However, they did return at the top of the path where I met the path I’d always intended to be on: this was the Puerto de Malaga. To restore my spirits there was even a sign pointing to Mijas.
I still don’t know what had happened to the Camino del Tejar. What I do know is that I didn’t enjoy this final stretch of the tour to Mijas. Downhill sound good unless the descents are steep and covered with loose rocks, then my heart sinks as my blood pressure rises. I think the final 2 kilometres took 90 minutes. Of course, somebody with a better sense of balance or more courage could take less time.
The final route through the trees has the crosses for the Stations of the Cross, though nothing more than numbered crosses.
I decided to go from El Grande to Mijas since the bus connections from Mijas to Benalmadena were better. However, against that doing the route in the opposite direction has the advantage of an easy descent to El Grande.
Being based in Benalmádena I took the M110 bus towards Malaga and changed on to the M132 at Base Aerea: there is a footbridge here. Buses back from Mijas are the M112 and M121 and seem to be every 30 minutes and run quite late, which was fortunate for me as I certainly had not intended to be hiking for as long as I had.