Too
hot to walk in The Alpujarra!
We had a client this
week complaining that it was too hot to walk in the Alpujarra. Yes, it is very hot at the moment but
you can escape the heat by getting up high for a walk.
A Cool Walk!
One of our favourite
walks starts from Hoya del Portillo at 2160m by driving up the forest track
above Capileira. Taking the path up through the forest to Puerto Molina 2380m
(about 30 minutes) brings you to cooler air with spectacular views of the high
mountains including Mulhacen which at 3482m is mainland Spain’s highest. Here
the Sierra Nevada National Park Service have placed “interpretation” boards
pointing out the history of the area and which mountains can be seen in the
range. There is another board about
50m away detailing the view south over the Contravesia and the mountains of
North Africa that can be seen on a clear day.
If you have 4 hours to
spare, there is a great circuit from Puerto Molina. Follow a faint path which ascends keeping just right of the
ridge to Prado Llano 2577m. Eventually this brings you back to the driveable
dirt track road which is followed to Mirador de Trevelez (great views of
Trevelez). 500m beyond, take the turning down to the left signed Refugio
Poqueira. Keep an eye open for a
path on the left which starts after about 10 minutes from the junction. This is followed back to the fire break
just under Puerto Molina.
This is a great walk
usually with good views (though it sometimes gets misty in the mountains). If contemplating this walk, check it
out on the map first and if you don’t feel confident, hire a QUALIFIED guide to lead you.