| Destinations | Home |
The Sierra Nevada, Andalucia, Spain
|
The high Alpujarras south of Granada are to some the
Switzerland of Spain. This beautiful mountainous region, the last stronghold of
the Moors, contains sleepy white villages, deep gorges, high mountains and some
of the most unspoilt countryside in the whole of Spain. Trekking in this region
is quite spectacular. You can walk all day through steep gorges clad with sweet
chestnut trees, or you can climb to the highest peaks in Spain. Everywhere you
go, there above you, towers Mulhacian at 3481 meters the highest mountain in
mainland Spain.
|
|
 |
By far the best place to base your holiday is at one
of the villages that cling to the side of the Poqueira gorge, either Pampaneira,
Bubion or Capileira. This beautiful gorge has been cut deep into the mountain by
the constant flow of the Poqeira River. Its icy clear waters tumble and cascade
down from the high Sierra’s through open moorland, terraced fields and wooded
steep cliffs. To me the best of all these small villages is Bubion at 1296
meters above sea level. Though it’s not as attractive as Pampaneira below, or
Capileira slightly higher, it still retains that Old Spanish charm of being a
real village. |
| A visit to the local supermarket, which straggles beneath the
restaurant and bar, will give you all the local colour you require. This is the
great meeting place for the elders of the village who arrive at opening time,
which is any time past 9.30am. The large sign on the door proclaims the shop
will open at 8.30. We never found out if this meant morning or night. They
arrive to swap gossip, exchange farm produce and tell jokes. The bread and the
vegetables are poked and squeezed with great gusto and slices of the local
sausages are selected with the utmost care. We always found the people of the
village to be helpful and polite and they would insist that you went first in
the queue at the single checkout. Just below the road and the supermarket
the very narrow streets of Bubion plunge downward. Here the tightly packed white
houses have to cling like limpets to the steep mountainside. At the centre of
the village is the Church Square, where every evening the locals gather to watch
the sun set over the mountains. This is the place the small children play games
of the past, dressing up, dolls house, run and chase, hide and seek all overseen
by their Grandparents. |
 |
Mount
If you are extremely fit then mountain biking in the
Sierra Nevada is just for you. There are numerous trails and donkey tracks that
zigzag their way across the mountains. The descents are frightening but the
climbs will kill off even the fittest. Still, if it’s wonderful scenery and
unspoilt traffic free rides you require, then this is the place. Bike hire is
available, but I would recommend that you travel with your own mountain bike.
You can take your bike on most airlines for about £25. When you book a flight,
check with the airline on how they want the bike packaged.
It is possible, before the snowfalls, to cycle from Capileira up into the high Sierras, by following the highest mountain road in Europe, the Loma De Piedra Blanca Road. This rough road which is now closed to cars, will take you right over the Sierra Nevada at a height of over 3000 meters. Before you attempt this ride make sure your brakes are in good condition, or failing that, I hope you have good medical insurance.
Trekking
and Hiking
Hiking in the Sierra Nevada National Park is outstanding. Based in the Veleta-Mulhacen sector you can walk every day through incomparable countryside. There are wonderful circular walks from the villages of Bubion, Capileira and Pampaneira up and around the Porqueira Gorge. Another exceptional area to trek is the Southern Taha and the village of Pitres, which are only a few miles away from Bubion. Starting from Pitres there is the circular walk of the five Taha villages, taking you through ancient vineyards, terraced fields and unspoilt villages where time has stood still.
 |
An excellent walk in good weather is from Capileira to Mulhacen at 3482
meters high. You catch the small mountain bus from Capileira. This bus then
winds its way up a tortuous road onto the high Nevada plateau where you alight
at 2600 meters. Before you disembark remember to book your return bus journey
with the conductor, allowing enough time for your hike. From the road you follow
the way marked stony track that ascends to the top of Mulhacen. This walk from
the bus stop and back will take just over two hours. The hike could take longer
if you are not too fit or if the high altitude affects you. Make sure you take a
compass, torch, whistle, food, drinking water, waterproof and a fleece. At this
altitude the weather can change very quickly. |
Equipment needed in the Sierra Nevada.:
I would recommend you to take good three season
walking boots, a good breathable waterproof jacket, windproof fleece, thermal
vest, sturdy walking trousers, comfortable shorts, short sleeved shirts, sun
hat, walking pole, and all the usual emergency equipment needed for walking in
the high mountains.
Sierra Nevada National Park: contact telephone 958
026310 fax 958 026310 open 9.00 to 14:00 Monday to Friday
Weather
The best walking weather is in the spring and late
summer, May, June, September and Early October. During these months the
temperature in the daytime is about twenty to twenty-five degrees and rainfall
is very rare. June July and August should be avoided due to the very high
temperatures found in the valleys. Soon after the second week of October and on
through November rain storms start to well up from the coast of Africa and snow
will be found above 2000 meters. During the winter months of December, January,
February, and early March there is quite a lot of snow on the high peaks. This
is the time to bring your skis, crampons and ice axe for some really serious
mountain walking.
Eating
and Drinking
The only disadvantage of the area is eating out. The
food at the restaurants is not very good. Most of the meals consist of ‘papas
a lo pobre’ (Poor man’s potatoes) meat and vegetables. Poor man’s potatoes
consists of sliced potatoes fried in olive oil, this could be very nice, but it
usually arrives served at the table nearly cold. This means that the dish ends
up tasting like the inside of an old chip pan. Another dish to avoid is chicken.
It does not matter how exotic it sounds on the menu; it always arrives cooked
the same way. Every part of the chicken, except the head and feathers, is
chopped up and boiled into a meaty broth. The rest of the meal is spent trying
to extract the bits of bone and the Parsons nose from the ensuing unpalatable
mess.
Without doubt the best Restaurant in the area was Finca los Llanos just off the Ruta de Las Sirra Nieves in Capileira. Here they served a French, Spanish cuisine and a specialty of Berenjenas con meil ( Aubergine in Honey) which simply melted in your mouth. Book a table or arrive early because it is nearly always full.
The bars and cafes in Bubion, Capileira, and
Pampaneira were very good, the ideal place to sit and watch the world go by. In
the cafés of Capileira, late in the evening, it was a good place to swap tales
and routes with fellow walkers. At night the best bars were in Bubion, where the
locals spent most of their time entertaining the holidaymakers with their wicked
sense of humour.
Accommodation.
Accommodation in the High Alpujarras is reasonable
priced and easy to obtain. You can either rent a room at the Meson Hostels or
hire an apartment for the week or by the day. Contact www.tourspain.es
The
best people to contact if you want to rent an apartment or a house is Rustic
Blue. www.rusticblue.com. They are
extremely helpful and they speak English.
Village houses in
Sedella,Costa East, Andalusia Walking in the Sierra Nevada by Andy Walmsley, Cicerone Press www.cicerone.co.uk Landscapes of
Andalucia by John and Christine Oldfield .
www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk The Rough Guide
to Andalucia by Geoff Garvey Map, Sierra Nevada 1:50 000 Comercializa, Centro
Nacional. A very good map for the
region but there are a few bad mistakes. Note: Mount Loma Del Tanto at 2715 meters is on the west side of the
high Mulhacen Road and not to the east as printed. Available
from www.themapshop.co.uk For driving in
the area the best map is the Michelin 446. 1/400.000 Andalucia, Costa del Sol. Also available
are some excellent walking guides by Elma Thompson these can be obtained from
Rustic Blue or at the various Tourist Offices in the Villages.
You can either get flights to Malaga or Almeria airport. These can be
obtained cheaply out of the main summer months of June, July and August try www.cheapflights.com To get to the mountains it is far easier to hire a car than to use public
transport. Buses in the area are not very reliable or punctual. The cheapest car
hire company is, www.holidayautos.co.uk Keep to the coast road as much as possible before heading inland. The
mountain roads are well maintained but are very narrow with lots of torturous
bends. In this area of Spain they measure the distance between towns, not by the
actual distance covered, but by the time it really takes.
Campsites are available lower down in the valley at
Pitres. Camping, Balcon de Pitres just out side the town is excellent. Remember,
outside of June, July and August, at this altitude the nights can be bitterly
cold, so take a four-season sleeping bag. Maps
and Guides
Getting There.