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
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.
.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.
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, and the ideal place to sit and watch the world go by. The cafés of Capileira, late in the evening, were good places 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. more...................