Sierra Blanca and the Refugio de Juanar

About Sierra Blanca and the Refugio de Juanar

By the ULTIMATE Marbella Editorial Team

Marbella’s own mountain rises straight behind the town, a limestone range with ibex, pine and cork oak, and trails to La Concha and the Cruz de Juanar. A different Marbella, an hour from the beach.

The white mountain

Sierra Blanca, the “white mountain”, is the limestone range that forms the backdrop to every view of Marbella. It belongs to the southernmost foothills of the Baetic ranges and covers some 6,500 hectares between Marbella, Istán, Ojén and Monda. Formed in the Triassic, it is limestone around a core of Alpujarride marbles, which gives the mountain its pale colour.

The highest point is the Cerro del Lastonar at 1,279 metres, followed by the Salto del Lobo and the famous Pico de la Concha at 1,215 metres, whose shell-shaped ridge is Marbella’s landmark. The Cruz de Juanar stands at 1,184 metres.

Its pale colour comes from limestone around a core of marble, and its slopes are home to the Iberian ibex.

Nature and protection

Sierra Blanca was once part of the national hunting reserve of the Serranía de Ronda and now belongs to the Natura 2000 network, as a Special Area of Conservation since 2015. Its forests are Mediterranean woodland, with cork oak among the dominant trees, and it has an Andalusian reference centre for the Iberian ibex. The old palace of the Marquises of Larios, now the Refugio de Juanar, stands on the plateau of Los Llanos de Juanar, around 850 metres up, among olive groves.

Trails

The town lists a network of signed routes, including Marbella–Cruz de Juanar, Juanar–La Concha, Istán–La Concha, Marbella–Istán and the Marbella–Ojén stage of the GR 249 Gran Senda de Málaga. The routes on the south face are steep, with big height gains, so they suit fit walkers with proper footwear.

Practical advice

Start at dawn in summer, carry plenty of water, tell someone your plan and keep your phone charged; the emergency number is 112. The Juanar–La Concha route starts higher up, at the refuge, so it climbs less than the routes from the town.

Our advice: drive up to Juanar, walk to the Cruz de Juanar for a taste of the mountain, and save La Concha for a cool, clear day.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sierra Blanca and the Refugio de Juanar before you go.