The river Census It is one of those typical water channels of the Malaga Mediterranean basin, it is not very long (around 12 kilometers in total), it starts in a beautiful natural setting such as the Sierra Bermeja and has a great environmental interest. In fact, this river that flows and ends in the municipality of Estepona is declared as Special Conservation Area for the characteristics and habitats it generates and the importance of the species of flora and fauna that live under its influence. In addition, it is one of the most refreshing natural walks in this part of the province of Malaga which has some ponds and pools of water where you can combat the suffocation of the summer season.
In fact, the river forms one of the most famous areas in this environment to cool off: the La Extranjera pond. This point can be the destination, start or end of the walk around this river depending on the plan chosen. It should also be borne in mind that the level of the pond, which only covers the center of it, will vary depending on the time of summer in which it is visited. It is a site frequented by those who enjoy natural surroundings and it does not have an excessively complicated access. Exit 160 of the highway A-7 It is the main reference to reach the riverbed that you have to go up for a few meters to reach the pond, as indicated on the map at the end of this article. The site has many possibilities to walk among the refreshing surroundings of the Padrón River. One of the routes Wikiloc It proposes a small walk with not much difficulty that allows not only the small bath in La Extranjera, but also in other pools along the course of the river.
Natural areas with and without beach in the surroundings
The La Extranjera pond and the Padrón river are not far from other points of interest for those who want a somewhat different plan than sun and beach. The Castor River is not far away. Another water course that also has some ponds in which to cool off, such as the peculiar pond of the otters, in which the water makes its way through the white marble rocks of this part of the Malaga province. It is another location where the watercourse can be the protagonist of the route. But in the municipality of Estepona you can also visit the surroundings of the Sierra Bermeja. In fact, the surroundings of the port of White Rocks you can enjoy many routes in Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja. Peñas Blancas is one of the ports where you can feel like an elite cyclist in the province of Malaga and has been the protagonist of more than one edition of La Vuelta. With beautiful views over the Mediterranean and a good number of corners of high natural value.
In addition, in its natural heritage, Estepona has some beaches as special and different as the beach of The gallery. Special for its location in the westernmost part of the municipality and for its different landscape. A sector of the Estepona coast suitable for diving that also has, in part of its extension, one of the beaches for dogs that can be found in the province of Malaga. A different option that can be complementary or accessory to the refreshing walk through nature that involves visiting the La Extranjera pond on the Padrón River.