# Málaga - Peñón del Cuervo — Málaga, Spain

Peñón del Cuervo is a dark sand cove east of Málaga, enclosed by the rock that gives it its name and right next to the coastal road, between El Candado and La Araña. It is the first natural stretch of coast after the city: without a promenade, with a rocky coastline on both sides. Along with La Misericordia, it is the other shore in Málaga where SUP and surf are practised: with swell breaking around the Peñón.

The spot is on the sand of the cove. From here, a sea route of about 3 km runs along a semi-cliffed coast towards La Araña (according to a water routes guide), and another guide mentions a submerged cave next to the Peñón. There is no school or rental.

Hazards: the rock is in the centre of the cove's mouth and there are rocks with breaking waves on both sides; the cove has no shelter, so the waves enter directly with a south swell, and it is small and gets crowded in summer. With Terral the wind blows offshore and takes you away from the shore. There is a dirt car park next to the cove. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: "Peñón del Cuervo, west side full view" by Daniel Capilla (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Playa del Peñón del Cuervo" by Daniel Capilla (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** SUP, Surf
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Málaga, Spain (36.71308, -4.33505)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** ENE (60°), SSW (200°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 0–12
- **Best months:** May, June, July, August, September, October

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43 | 48 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 40 | 46 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 31 | 62 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 24 | 70 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 11 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 17 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 20 | 79 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 19 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 23 | 76 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 27 | 69 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 45 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 48 | 41 | 11 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Terral** — NNW (340°), 8–35 kn. North-northwest offshore wind, dry and gusty, which comes down through the Málaga mountains. With Terral the water near the shore is flat, but the wind pushes the boards towards the open sea.. Do not go out with Terral: returning against the wind is very difficult and the coast recedes quickly even if the water looks flat. Check the forecast and the flags before entering, do not paddle alone and always use a leash and vest.

## Zones

- **Parking** — Parking
- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Peñón del Cuervo** — Navigation zone
- **Peñón (rocks)** — Restricted zone

## Points of interest

- **Water entry**: Sand of the cove; the water goes in a V-shape towards the Peñón. Approximate position.
- **Dirt car park**: Dirt esplanade under the trees, at the top of the cove. It is not mapped as a car park: the outline is approximate.
- **Peñón del Cuervo (rock)**: Rock in the centre of the cove's mouth, with breaking waves around it. Go around it at a distance.
- **Rocks to the west of the cove**: Rocky coastline with breaking waves to the left of the cove.
- **Rocks to the east of the cove**: Rocky coastline with breaking waves to the right of the cove, on the way to La Araña.

## Hazards

- The Peñón rock in the centre of the cove's mouth
- Rocky coastline with breaking waves on both sides of the cove
- Open sea without shelter: waves enter directly with a south swell
- Terral: offshore wind that takes you away from the shore
- Small cove and crowded in summer

## Obstacles

- Peñón del Cuervo (rock) in the mouth of the cove
- Rocks with breaking waves on both sides of the cove

## Facilities

- Parking

## Restrictions

- En temporada de baño la franja junto a la orilla está balizada y no se puede navegar con tabla dentro de ella: se entra y se sale por los canales señalizados. Sin balizas, la zona de baño es una franja de 200 m desde la orilla en las playas (Reglamento General de Costas, art. 73). La Capitanía Marítima de Málaga publica sus normas cada año.

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/malaga-penon-del-cuervo-eb0rYcDJhhf8H2tetrZg?lang=en)