Walking in the
Alpujarras
Having walked extensively throughout the
U.K., Europe and in Morocco, I can honestly say that walking in Spain’s Alpujarra is up
there with the best! To just say that there are pretty villages and scenic
valleys would not do the area justice.
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| Busquistar and the Taha Gorge |
The walking often begins from one of the
many whitewashed villages first established by the Berber’s of North Africa
when Spain was ruled by Arab kings. The architecture of these villages being
identical to the villages of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Flat roofs and distinct
decorative chimneys make an amazing sight when wandering down the steep narrow
streets of the villages that often seem to cling to the hillside.
Paths take you through cultivated terraces
often with almonds and olives down into rocky valleys with rivers flowing
(although some are dry in the summer months). The paths are often lined with
wild flowers during the spring and early summer and occasionally with wild
tomato hedges and mulberries later in the year. As you walk along it is not uncommon to pass the local
goatherd walking his goats foraging for food and browsing the bushes either
side of the path. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to remember this really
is the 21st Centaury!
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| Iberian Ibex "Cabra de Monte" |
Keep an eye out for the wildlife as you
walk. Eagles and vultures are common but there may well be decorative hoopoes
and bee-eaters as well as a host of other birds. You will hear scuttling noises revealing that a gecko is
getting out of your way or you might just happen upon one! Cabra de Monte
(Iberian Ibex) is common in the more remote parts of the valleys.
A unique feature of the area are the
acequia’s, water channels that transport water from the steams and distribute
it to the hill farms around the hillsides. Although it was the Romans who first
introduced them to this area, the present system of acequia’s date back to the
time when the Arabs ruled Spain. Most of the acequia’s have narrow paths
running beside them which make for great walking and the presence of water
attracts many wild flowers. Some
acequia’s are lined with ancient chestnut trees.
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| Walking beside an Acequia |
It is possible to walk in the Alpujarra
throughout the year with the exception of the summer months. The Alpujarra gets
very hot in summer and too hot for most people to enjoy walking. In July and August it is possible to
walk high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where the temperatures are cool, 15
to 25 degrees depending on height and wind strength. Walking in the winter months in the Alpujarra is usually
o.k. and if the sun is out you might even be wearing shorts and tee shirt in
February! If staying in one of the higher villages it is not uncommon for 2 or
3 days snow a couple of times each winter.
We are based near Lanjaron which is a good
for access to the whole Sierra Nevada Mountain range. If I was looking for a base in the Alpujarra for a walking
holiday I would consider one of the especially pretty villages of Capileira,
Bubion or Pampaneira. A lot of walkers stay in Capileira and there is usually
some kindred spirit to strike up conversation with in a bar. There is also the National Park
Information office here.
A car is useful in this area though using
public transport is possible as there is reasonable public transport. Details
of the bus company and time table in English can be found on the Sierra Nevada Guides website.
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| Alpujarran Chimneys |
The area’s popularity has been increased by
Chris Stewarts book, Driving over Lemons which paints an honest picture of what
it’s like living in the area. A good read in its own right but you may enjoy your
visit more after reading this.
There are some suggestions as to suitable walks on the Sierra Nevada Guides website with free downloads, these confine
themselves to the western Alpujarra, Lecrin Valley and western Sierra Nevada. A
useful walking book is Holiday Walks in the Alpujarra by Jeremy Rabjohns. Maps
can be bought in the U.K. from Stanford’s and we recommend Sierra Nevada, La
Alpujarra 1:40 000. Maps are flimsy and you might like to cover them in sticky
back plastic before leaving the U.K.
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| Spring in the Alpujarra |
One of the more remarkable features of the Sierra Nevada range is the road that traverses the main ridge at around 3,000m. The road, an un surfaced dirt track, is now closed to all traffic, in summer however it is a clear route across the range and is popular with walkers, mountain bikers and occasionally horse riders.
The history of the road dates back to 1916 when it was thought that it would be possible to create a link from Granada to the Alpujarra across the mountains. Construction began from the west side of the range and in 1932 a section of the road reached 3,100m on the side of Veleta, the peak high above Granada. This section of road, now surfaced in parts, is still on the ground and is used to service the ski tows and chair lifts on the mountainside. This particular section is also mentioned by Wikipedia as the highest surfaced road in Europe.
During the civil war construction stopped and it wasn’t until the mid sixties when the link between Veleta and the south ridge of Mulhacen was opened. Once finished the route was open to all who wanted to venture across what would have been a very dramatic route which could be followed all the way from Granada to Capileira. This high sierra route was popular with drivers and remained open until the late nineties when the Parque Nacional was created and public access stopped.
Remarkable as it was in its own right, as well as the road, it was also envisaged that a tunnel would be constructed below Veleta which would be used as a part of the route. Work on the tunnel was started from both sides of the St Juan ridge on the north side of the mountain. The work however was stopped by the onset of the civil war and never restarted after. The eastern entrance to the tunnel is still open and lies in the Coral de Veleta below the path known as the Verdon Superior. The ‘’tunnel’’ is about 50m deep and is often used as a bivouac site by mountaineers.
When I first started walking in the Sierra Nevada I bought a copy of what was then the only English guide book to the area. That first edition of ‘’Walking in the Sierra Nevada’’ has a number of routes from the road and describes one route up Mulhacen which involved parking your car at 3,000m and walking the last 400m up the west ridge. It even describes a branch of the road that ran to a parking area on the south ridge itself which would require any intrepid “mountaineer” to walk a kilometre and ascend 75m before reaching the top!
