Campaigners hope to have Costa del Sol’s mountains recognised as national park

The fragrant hills and mountains of the Sierra Bermeja provide a welcome change from the heat and crowds of the summer coastline.

They are the semi-iconic mountains that have been the backdrop to many a selfie, postcard and lazy evening meal for decades, and now campaigners are hoping to get the Costa del Sol’s mountain range recognised as a national park…

From La Concha’s unique peak to the flatter, more undulating range that rolls all the way inland to Ronda, the mountains of the Costa del Sol hide a beautiful mixture of rugged terrain, winding roads, rural pueblos and some of the most breathtaking views in Spain.

It is to here that locals and expats alike head during the busy summer months down on “The Coast”, and some of the most exclusive property available to buy anywhere in the world can be found – if you look hard enough – nestled amid the lush valleys.

The local government has already drawn up plans to have the Sierra de las Nieves behind Marbella recognised as a national park, prompting more than 13,500 people to sign a campaign on Change.org to grant the Sierra Bermeja – which forms Estepona’s backdrop – the same status.

Their argument is that the Sierra Bermeja hosts an even broader and more delicate biodiversity than the Sierra de las Nieves, and would like to see both ranges given national park status.

The Sierra Bermeja is the only place in the world where pinsapo fir trees grow on red peridotite rocks, the group say, and it is with this in mind that they have campaigned alongside Sierra de las Nieves to have the entire area recognised.

“We are heartened by the amount of signatures we have already received as it highlights the importance of this mountain range to the people,” said Sierra Bermeja Parque Nacional campaigner Maribel Marín. “But we want to encourage everyone to sign it to really show to the officials the amount of support for our campaign.

“At the moment Sierra Bermeja only has parque natural status, which we do not believe affords it adequate protection against risks such as fires.

“It would be tragic if we lost a unique habitat forever due to a lack of this,” Marín concluded.