Adventurers of Marbella, the Promoters of Sierra Blanca

Today, Marbella faces the sea, or in other words, turns its back on the mountain that permeates the landscape of almost every corner of the city. Its earliest inhabitants did not do this, as evidenced by the cave paintings in the Cueva de Pecho Redondo. Nor does the group Aventureros de Marbella, which was founded in 2010 by a handful of friends and now consists of 220 members, mostly from Marbella but also from nearby towns such as Ojén, Istán, Fuengirola, and even some areas of Cádiz. They gather to enjoy Sierra Blanca and other spots in the province.

The soul of this group and one of its founders is José Manuel Tomillero (Marbella, 1990), a civil guard by profession, a volunteer of Civil Protection for 14 years, and a nature lover who has set out to divulge the secrets of his mountain. The group, which recently received the Young Talent award from the Marbella City Council, is currently involved in filming and producing a documentary series to showcase Sierra Blanca and its history, even using drones, which will be broadcast on Marbella public television. "There will definitely be more than 15 episodes, and each will last at least 20 minutes; just for the Buenavista Mines you need four," says Tomillero, referring to what he considers one of the most unknown spots of Sierra Blanca. "There are more than 20 mines, and the people of Marbella are not aware of how many people and how many generations lived from them," he adds.

In his opinion, his fellow citizens—"especially the young," he specifies—know "little" about Sierra Blanca; a mountain he describes as "a small Noah's Ark, with fauna, flora, and great ecological and scenic value" that, due to its "small" size, makes it hard to imagine "how it can contain so many things."

Secrets, QR Codes, and Emergencies

What is most known about the Sierra is probably Juanar, points out Tomillero, "but few know that the cross is constructed with rails from the Peñoncillo mine in Ojén." In the documentary series, there will be "secrets," including some from well-known places like the Monks' Hermitage. "Very few people know its history; there's a plaque there but at least four more are needed," says the founder of Aventureros de Marbella.

Hiking

Documentary Series

Speleology

Recognition

Emergencies

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Once the recording of the documentary series, which will also be distributed on social networks, is completed, the group plans to place each episode in its location, using QR codes, so that visitors to Sierra Blanca can learn about each corner and its history while enjoying it. It's the audiovisual version of the audio guides found in many tourist attractions. And they won't stop there: they are already talking with educational centers to offer talks in schools and high schools to promote the Marbella mountain.

Members of this group can be found enjoying their mountain, but also diving in San Pedro Alcántara, or doing rafting, canyoning, or climbing in other parts of the province. Or collaborating in the Ecoreserva de Ojén, or planting fir trees or cleaning trails. "We do three or four things a month," he assures. And if there is an emergency, a group of fifteen members will be there, as happened recently with the fire in Cáceres or earlier with the storms in Valencia and Álora. Because, as Tomillero says, the Aventureros de Marbella, "we never get bored." And now what they are not getting bored with is making their mountain known. They are the new promoters of Sierra Blanca. Anyone interested can contact them through Facebook or Instagram (@aventurerosdemarbella).