9. Along the Hoz del Arroyo Marín

The Hoz del Arroyo Marín – Marín stream defile (also known as the Hoz del Ciervo – Deer defile) is accessed by a dirt track, Camino de las Lagunillas, which leads directly to the bank of the stream.

Along this route of just over 4 km, we can enjoy a flora characteristic of the Mediterranean region, with riverside vegetation along the river banks. The most outstanding feature is the autochthonous Aleppo pine forest that grows inside the gorge.

Once we reach the stream bank, the path continues parallel to the small river known as Marín, a tributary of the Guadalhorce River. At the beginning, the landscape is characterized by an open meadow, although later and gradually, it begins to narrow, turning into a gorge or defile. Along the riverbed there is a riverside forest made up of ash trees, aspens, elms, silver poplars … Olive trees, holm oaks and orchards that belong to some farmhouses predominate in its vicinity. On the slopes of the gorge grows Mediterranean scrub, such as Jerusalem sage, rosemary, thyme and broom.