El Torcal de Antequera is a natural area of 1171 hectares located in the municipality of Antequera. This place is famous for the amazing shapes that have been sculpted in its limestone rocks by the various erosive agents, which makes it a clear example of karst landscape. Since 1929 its value has been recognized, being the first Andalusian Protected Natural Area of national interest. Subsequently it was declared a Nature Reserve Park in 1978, Natural Site in 1989 and, in 2014, Special Area of Conservation. In addition, the sierra has the designation of Special Protection Area for Birds by the Junta de Andalucía. In 2013 it was chosen as the second finalist of El Mejor Rincón by Guía Repsol and, in 2016, it was included in the World Heritage as part of the Dolmens of Antequera Site, in relation to the orientation of the tholos of El Romeral towards its summit.

Its origins date back to the Mesozoic Era, specifically to the Jurassic period, when the area was part of an elongated maritime corridor that connected the Gulf of Cadiz with Alicante, joining the ancient Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans. During the Alpine Orogeny in the Tertiary Era, the limestone sediments deposited in that corridor were uplifted by tectonic forces, giving rise to mountain ranges whose peaks acquired mushroom-like shapes. El Torcal is part of the limestone arc of the Sierras Subbéticas.

From the geological point of view, the Torcal is made up of three types of limestone rocks: oolitic, breccioid and clastic, which originated in a seabed between 201 and 145 million years ago. These sediments, cemented by salts and marine precipitates, were later raised to more than 1000 meters above sea level. The action of fractures and faults, oriented in perpendicular directions, produced cracks that, with erosion, became corridors or alleys. Subsequently, processes of gelifraction and the differential dissolution of limestones by the CO₂ acid present in the rain have given rise to rock forms with such characteristic names as the "tornillo", the "sombrerillo", the "ataúd" or the "dado". The surface dissolution has also generated lapiaz terrains, characterized by their difficult transit.

El Torcal has a rich network of subterranean forms, with more than a hundred explored chasms and caves. Among the most outstanding are the Sima de la Unión, which reaches a depth of 225 meters, as well as the Sima Azul and the Sima de la Mujer. Also, caves of great historical importance, such as the Cueva de El Toro and the Cueva de Marinaleda, house prehistoric sites and evidence of the prolonged human occupation in the area. These caves were formed by karstic processes of dissolution and widening of the limestone, both on the surface and in the subsoil.

The biodiversity of the Torcal is remarkable both in its flora and fauna. Although the original plant formations have been partially affected by human activities such as grazing, logging and charcoal extraction, the site retains a remarkable botanical richness, with numerous rare and endemic species, among which the Atropa baetica stands out. The vegetation is organized in shrub and sub-shrub strata, with hawthorn and bramble bushes, and in favorable areas you can observe communities of Betic oak groves, grasslands in the karst depressions and rock formations in the Torcal Alto, where several endemic species converge.

In terms of fauna, the area is especially renowned for its diversity of birds of prey, such as the griffon vulture, golden eagle and Bonelli's eagle, as well as other species of birds of prey and birds such as the peregrine falcon, the booted eagle and the eagle owl. Among the mammals are the mountain goat, present in large numbers, and the variety of small carnivores, foxes, badgers and weasels that inhabit the thickets and forests. The caves and chasms of the Torcal are also a refuge for various colonies of bats, among which are species such as the big horseshoe bat and the southern big-eared bat.

The site has a visitor center accessible from Antequera through the A-343 road and the A-7075, with the entrance located at kilometer 42 of the latter. This center has an interpretative area, an astronomical observatory, basic services, store, restaurant and two parking areas. In addition, El Torcal offers three hiking trails for public use: the Orange Route, 3.5 km long, which connects two parking areas; the Yellow Route, 3 km long, with panoramic stretches and other narrower and wetter ones; and the Green Route, a 1.5 km shortcut ideal for families and children. The center organizes various activities and guided tours off these trails. The stunning landscapes of the Torcal have served as a backdrop for filming, as in the series Warrior Nun, released in 2020 on Netflix.