Canillas de Aceituno
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Canillas de Aceituno

Canillas de Aceituno

White Axarquía village below the Sierra de Tejeda, used as a base for La Maroma walks.

Canillas de Aceituno is a small white village in the Axarquía region of Málaga province, in the foothills of the Sierra de Tejeda. The road up from the coast winds through olive and almond groves before the village appears as a cluster of white-walled houses around a church and a couple of small squares.

The village has a friendly, unhurried atmosphere and a few bars. Its main appeal is as a base for walking in the Sierra de Tejeda natural park, which rises steeply behind the village and offers trails with excellent views across to the Mediterranean. The highest point is La Maroma at 2,069 metres — the summit of Málaga province — visible from the beach at Nerja on clear days. The dramatic Tejeda Gorge cuts through the limestone above the village and is one of the finest gorge walks in the region. The surrounding area includes several similar white villages — Sedella, Salares, Colmenar, and Iznate — worth exploring if you have a car.

Guide

Things to Do

Canillas de Aceituno is primarily a base for walking in the Sierra de Tejeda Natural Park. The village sits at the foot of La Maroma, the highest peak in Málaga province at 2,069 metres, and trails of varying difficulty fan out from the village edge into the limestone mountains above. The path to the summit is demanding but rewards on clear days with views that extend across the coast to North Africa.

Below the peak, the sierra is carved by the Tejeda Gorge (Barranco de los Cazadores), a dramatic limestone canyon where the trail follows the stream through dense vegetation and occasional scrambling sections. The gorge walk is one of the best in the Axarquía.

In the village itself, the Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua is worth a look — a whitewashed church with a simple Mudejar-influenced tower that anchors the main square. The surrounding network of white villages — Sedella, Salares, and Arenas — are each within a short drive and make for pleasant afternoon detours.