Istan - Picacho - Puerto Currito - Istan

Trail: circular
Difficulty: medium
Time: 3 hours
Distance: 4 Km's

A circular route that starts from the higher part of the town of Istan, from the water deposit and Altos de Istan hotel area. See how to get here.

Once we leave the car we will see the Picacho peak in front of us. Its name comes from its shape, a small peak. It is about 620 metres high.

PHOTO: view of the Picacho from the hotel area

We go up the earth trail, the wide trail that goes under the peak is the way to go towards Ojen, this is not our way today. We take a turn to the right and we will soon come to two signposts, one indicates towards La Concha mountain and the other is the one that climbs the Picacho. We take the trail up to the Picacho, the other trail we will use to come back on.

PHOTO: this is where the trail starts climbing

PHOTO: a close up of the sign. We will go up this one and come back using the other trail.

The trail climbs, and climbs steeply, take it easy. Every metre we climb is rewarded with a marvelous view of the town of Istan, the cultivated terraces north area, the Sierra Real mountain range and what the locals call the "nacimiento". This means "birth" and it is a spring where the Molinos river comes down from Sierra Blanca to later join Rio Verde, the green river, that would meet the Mediterranean Sea at Puerto Banus, only that it is now interrupted by the Concepcion Reservoir dam. This and the desalination plant are the whole coasts water supply.

We follow the path all the way up. Up the top we will find another sign post. If we follow to the left, towards the summit the path is not clear, so if you really want to stand right on the very end of the Picacho you will have to climb over the rocks.

PHOTO: a view of the trail and the city of Istan down below

PHOTO: looking up the trail and the peak when we are half way up there

From the top, over the easterly side through a gap in the rocks we will have a beautiful view of the valley of the Molinos river that winds down from the heart of Sierra Blanca to the "nacimiento" spring.

PHOTO: sign and post on top of the Picacho

Near the sign post we find a small post that marks a trail that climbs up a bit further to the right (south). We will follow this path through thick bushes, the climb is easier this time.

The trail opens out suddenly and we will be on top of the hill of Puerto Currito where we will find another trail post and a breathtaking view of the Concepcion Reservoir and Rio Verde at our feet. If the day is clear enough we will be able to see across to the African coast, Gibraltar, Sierra Bermeja mountain range in Estepona, Sierra Real and up north the Sierra de las Nieves, the "snowy" mountains, that belong to Ronda, with the mountain Torrecilla (1919 metres), the highest in the Malaga province.

PHOTO: the impressive view from the top of the hill at Puerto Currito

Now we will be standing on the trail that goes from Istan to the mountain La Concha. If we follow the trail up the mountain we will be going towards the Concha, we want to descend, so we go to the right (west).

PHOTO: the post that marks the road back down

It is a long and careful descent, with beautiful views. The trail is sometimes difficult to see, but it is marked with red paint on the rocks and the odd rock pyramid left by other excursionists.

Once down on level ground again we only have to follow the earth trail to the right to get back to where we left the car.

Updated: february 2007