Casa Freya sits right on the edge of the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama natural park, with trails for every level. Highlights include the Cómpeta to Canillas de Albaida loop, a moderate 8km walk between two white villages, the gentler Hawk Hill and Huerta Grande Pass loop, and the tougher Collado de Huerta Grande circular for confident hikers. Further out, the river walk between Canillas de Albaida and Árchez follows the Turvilla river past old water mills, and El Saltillo near Canillas de Aceituno crosses a dramatic gorge on a hanging bridge, often called the Caminito del Rey of the Axarquía.

Its residents were evicted in 1948 and the hamlet stood empty for fifty years, until a descendant of the original villagers began restoring it in 1998. Today it's a working village again - thirty six houses, a chapel, cobbled streets, and a taverna serving home-cooked mountain food. Reachable on foot via a mountain trail, or by car through Frigiliana or Cómpeta.

Two of the Axarquía's best-known towns, both within easy reach of Casa Freya. Nerja has the Balcón de Europa viewpoint, the Nerja Caves, and a string of good beaches. Frigiliana, regularly rated one of Spain's prettiest villages, has whitewashed streets, flower-filled balconies and small local restaurants. Easily combined into one day out, with time for lunch in either town.

A pretty cove beach near Almunecar, about 45 minutes from Casa Freya. La Herradura sits in a horseshoe-shaped bay with calm, sheltered water, making it a good spot for swimming, paddleboarding and diving. The promenade has a good choice of chiringuitos for lunch right on the sand, and it makes an easy half day out or a full one combined with a wander round Almunecar itself.

Explore the villages and valleys around Competa on an electric bike, with local hire shops in the village offering half day and full day rentals. The motor takes the sting out of the hills, so you can reach viewpoints and nearby villages like Canillas de Albaida or Sayalonga without arriving exhausted. A good option for a morning out before the pool, or a slower alternative to a full hiking day.