La Concha – Marbella’s landmark!
Rio de Janeiro has Sugarloaf Mountain and Cape Town in South Africa has Table Mountain, but Marbella’s iconic mountain La Concha (the ‘shell’) is an ever-constant visual companion to those who visit and live in this pretty resort town.
Part of the Sierra Blanca mountain range that overlooks the town, La Concha reaches a height of 1,215 metres above sea level, the land gently slopes up along the famous Golden Mile.
Tree-lined residential areas can be found between the sea and the higher ground and low-rise apartment complexes lie in semi-tropical grounds while palatial villas ensure that this is one of the best addresses in Marbella. As the land rises up to the lower reaches of La Concha itself, a protected nature reserve has been created which extends all the way to the far side of the complex of peaks that make up the Sierra Blanca range.
Eagles can be seen hovering on the thermals, searching for prey, while mountain goats negotiate their way through rocky outcrops. A paradise for hikers and nature lovers alike, the area has marked walking routes of varying levels of intensity and lengths. A route takes you all the way to the higher ridge of La Concha – a hike that can take a little under an hour but the reward of the stunning views over Marbella, but onwards to Puerto Banus, Sotogrande and on a clear day, Gibraltar to the west.
It is not unusual to look straight across the Mediterranean Sea and clearly view the Moroccan coast and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in detail, with fishing boats, ferries and cruise ships cross the straits between them.
The western side of La Concha slopes down to the reservoir of La Concepción. Through a man made dam, this is an area of great natural beauty that can make you feel as though you have travelled deep into the Andalucian countryside. On the western side of this mountain is the typical white village of Istán, a popular lunch and resting place for those that want to explore this area.
Most approach from the East however, where picnic areas in the pine forests or country restaurants are a popular staging post for hikers and walkers alike. Not far is the mountain village of Ojén. The peace and beauty of this area is a little more than ten minutes from Marbella’s shops, beaches and cafés, it is set amid peaks and valleys of the Sierra Bermeja.
Nearby is the higher peak of Lastonar at 1,270 metres, but La Concha it’s unmistakeable shell-like form has become the icon of Marbella. Whether you are on the beach by the Artola Dunes, admiring the yachts at Cabopino or playing a round of golf at Santa Maria, the beautiful outline of La Concha is always on the horizon.
