ANTEQUERA , on the main rail line to Granada, is an ordinary, modern town, but it does have peripheral attractions in a Baroque church, El Carmen (Mon 11.30am-2pm, Tues-Sun 10am-2pm, Sat also 4-7pm; ¬1.20), which houses one of the finest retablos in Andalucía, and a group of three prehistoric dolmen caves . The most impressive and famous of these is the Cueva de Menga (Sun & Tues 9am-3.30pm, Wed-Sat 9am-6pm; free), its roof formed by an immense 180-tonne monolith. To reach this, and the nearby Cueva de Viera (same hours), take the Granada road out of town - the turning, rather insignificantly signposted, is after about 1km on the left. A third cave, El Romeral (same hours), is rather different (and later) in its structure, with a domed ceiling of flat stones; it also lies to the left of the Granada road, 2km further on, behind a sugar factory with a chimney.

 

If you want to stay in Antequera there's a good pensión, Madrona , c/Calzada 25 (tel 952 840 014; ¬18-27), near the market, which serves excellent food. Antequera also has a rather unattractive modern parador and several hostales on the roads in and out of town. Details of these, plus town maps and information on El Torcal (see below) are available from a helpful tourist office (Mon-Sat 10am-2pm & 5-8pm, Sun 10am-2pm; tel 952 843 573) on Plaza San Sebastián, alongside the church of the same name.

El Torcal , 13km south of Antequera, is the most geologically arresting of Spain's national parks. A massive high plateau of glaciated limestone tempered by a lush growth of hawthorn, ivy and wild rose, it can be painlessly explored using the walking routes that radiate from the centre of the park - trails are outlined in a leaflet available from the Centro de Recepción (Tues-Sun 10am-2pm & 4-6pm; tel 952 225 800). The only waymarked route (in green) is also the shortest (1.5km) and most popular, and in summer you may find yourself competing with gangs of schoolkids who arrive en masse for vaguely educational trips. A longer five-kilometre trail is more peaceful, great for strolling and taking in the looming limestone formations, eroded into vast, surreal sculptures. Camping is no longer allowed inside the park but there is a campsite , Camping Torcal (April-Sept), just off the A3310 6km south of Antequera. Five daily buses run from Málaga Monday to Friday and one runs on Sunday.