Lydia Spencer-Elliott
JUST over an hour’s drive from the busy beaches of Marbella, tucked between the Spanish hillside and evergreen woodland, exists a scene so soothing it could remove furrows from your forehead.
El Chorro, near the village of Ardales, is a series of winding reservoirs where you can fish, hike, paddle board or kayak till the sun sets.
Of course, if you’ve come to relax, you may prefer to know where to lie down. A small jaunt down the bank of the valley adjacent to Restaurante El Mirador will take you lakeside where you can recline.
With water the colour of beryl gemstones and vistas that roll further than most sun squinting eyes can see, the bank is the perfect place to sprawl on a Sunday.
The lesser known area was visited by Bridget Bardot when filming a scene for The Night Heaven Fell in 1958.
While most visitors won’t be seeking a remote refuge with their lover, like Bardot on the silver screen, the weekend getaway can still provide drama for adrenaline seekers.
330ft above the river gorge, Caminito del Rey is a walkway where adventurers can traverse along the rock face while sunseekers doze at ground level.
To avoid a tortuous quest for parking it’s best to arrive before midday and, for the clamber down to the water edge, your least fashionable footwear is advised.
