El Chorro could be called a "brutal but beautiful area" since it and the surrounding countryside are dry, steep and almost inaccessible. To get to most of the crags you have to make your way through railway tunnels. Reaching many of the crags takes an hour or more on foot! Even so, El Chorro is one of the most famous rock climbing areas in Europe, the reason being simply that there are many nice routes and beautiful crags.
Because of its location in the south of Spain rock climbing is possible throughout the winter even though it can sometimes be cold and there may even be snow.
The routes are mostly hard climbs which is why El Chorro attracts climbers from the whole world. Rock climbers from Great Britain, Germany, America, France, Holland, Australia and Scandinavia travel there in the winter to soak up the sun and the climbing.
To reach the rock climbing in El Chorro you can go by car from Malaga airport or by train. By train you first take the underground from the airport, then the regular trains to Alora and El Chorro. In El Chorro you can stay in the local Refugio. There are two in the village with very

different standards, one is cheap and one is more expensive. Two kilometres out of the village you will find a third place to stay. During the winter you will find climbers staying in all three places. To get to the outlying areas you will need a car, and the topography is totally different there, being more "friendly" and suitable for climbers with small children.
This part of Spain is often called "Afro Spain", and has a great deal to offer in terms of culture. If you are here in the early autumn or in the spring you can both swim in the

Mediterranean and go skiing in the Sierra Nevada east of Granada.
With almost 700 boulted routes in an area accessible on foot El Chorro in Spain is an El Dorado for climbers. Combine this with warm sun in the winter, vultures flying overhead and a brutal but beautiful landscape and you have the makings of an unforgettable experience.

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