La Senda Litoral – 180 km coastal walk

The long coastal path in the province of Malaga is a collaborative project between the 14 coastal municipalities, the Junta de Andalucía and the Ministry of Agriculture. This project will provide walking and cycling routes from Manilva in the west to Nerja in the east along the entire coast, covering approximately 200 kilometers, that is, practically the entire Costa del Sol.

90% of the coast of the province of Malaga is already passable (November 2023), some parts are more complicated than others to connect, such as the stretch between Nerja and Torrox Costa, which consists of an area of ​​stone and cliffs, and between Mijas Costa and Marbella, where many sections are built up, which is why a deadline of five years has been set.
The trail currently consists of 167 sections consisting of boardwalks, paths and hiking trails.

The goals of La Senda Litoral

1/ Make the Coastal Trail accessible by improving the old infrastructure such as walking paths, cycle paths and connecting these with new trails.
2/ Promote tourism on the Costa del Sol. The coastal path is intended to be an important tourist attraction with opportunities for entrepreneurs, hotels, bars and restaurants, and companies focused on active leisure.

3/ The aim is to have positive economic effects and create jobs. The economic impact resulting from the opening of the Coastal Trail is based on:
Increasing the average number of days that tourists stay in the area, attracting new visitors and receiving economic benefits from new businesses. It is estimated that approximately 270 new permanent jobs will be created, and 400 jobs will be created during the completion of the project.

4/ Public beaches and the area around the trail will be improved. In addition, visitors will be able to approach places of great importance in a natural way, such as: 
Peñón del Cuervo Rock , 
Punta Chullera and its beach in Manilva, 
Artola Dunes , 
the Vélez Delta at the mouth of the Guadalhorce River and the rocky land between Calahonda and Calaburras beaches in Mijas.

5/ Highlight the importance of historical sites

When completed, La Senda Litoral will allow visitors to see the 
42 watchtowers (pdf)  that line the coast of Málaga, or the 
Phoenician ruins in Velez Málaga.

However, it should be emphasized that such large projects tend to drag on, so the schedule to complete La Senda Litoral in 2026 may not be met.