School Blog

His destination was: The Cahorros Gorge in Monachil village.

With its wild flowers, almonds, the cascading river and lavender, thyme and rosemary, the lush Monachil valley is a beautiful area for hiking. Our students love the hanging bridges and the dramatic gorge, and this walk is particularly recommended when the flowers are out in spring.

We choose this walk, because it is suitable for most people. There are some sections where the group has to scramble under overhanging rock along the side of the gorge. It's an unforgettable adventure! There are metal handles set into the rock to help hikers past. It isn't a difficult route to follow.

The walk starts in the village of Monachil, following the river up through the gorge, then returning by a higher route, from which we get a good view of the whole valley.

Even if we can only move inside the municipality of Granada because of the pandemic, our city offers very beautiful trails near the city center. Today we propose a walk to the following area:

This walk explores the Llano de la Perdiz, an area of parkland above the Alhambra in Granada popular with locals for walking, cycling, and Sunday picnics.

You very soon leave the city behind, replacing it with views across to the Sierra Nevada to the south-east and the Sierra de Huétor to the north.

The return part of the circuit offers views down into the Sacromonte valley and the Albaicín quarter of Granada.

They offer guided hiking & trekking tours led by experienced local experts through the Natural Parks and cultural heritage areas of the mountains of southern Spain.

The charismatic force behind Sierra y Sol is Teresa Madrona: professor, mountain sports enthusiast, hiking club organizer and ecologist. Teresa is an experienced teacher and passionate about sharing her knowledge of Andalusian cultural and natural history with her students and visitors of Spain. Teresa began teaching high school Biology and Geology in the late 80s, and 11 years later founded her own ecological consulting business. She is currently a professor of Biology at the University of Granada. Throughout her life she has avidly pursued hiking and mountaineering in the mountains of her homeland and abroad (the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco and the Alps in Switzerland), and has organized hundreds of hiking trips and excursions for BUXUS, an ecologically focused hiking organization.

For further information visit: www.sierraysol.com

For those thinking of learning Spanish in Granada and hiking in the surroundings, the area around Granada often ranks highly as a choice of venues. One of the main attractions is the wide variety of landscapes that are available within a very short distance. It is an ideal area for combining a Spanish course with walking holidays.

The Sierra Nevada National Park and a lot of different natural parks offer wonderful views around almost every corner. Here you can select from a wide range of walking challenges from very easy to extremely difficult. In this area, especially in spring, there is an abundance of flora including vibrant indigenous flowers as well as rare orchids. The groves of olive, almond, orange and lemon trees offer a wide variety of new and ancient trees, some of them hundreds of years old. All year round our school offers guided walks in the afternoons.

In addition to a rich multicultural history, the Alhambra and other monuments, a student-driven nightlife, hiking in the nearby Sierra Nevada National Park offers a break from urban citylife. Spring is an excellent time for trekking tours. Enjoy the pale pink almond flowers, the snow covered peaks of Sierra Nevada and the mild sunny weather.

And if you prefer a tailor made tour with a professional guide check our combined programme Spanish & Hiking

Want to run through the snow capped mountains of Sierra Nevada, the southernmost region of Spain? Then participate in a Spanish course at our Spanish language school and enjoy hiking with us.

Also in 2020 we will surprise our students with beautiful hikes as a part of our weekly cultural programme.

Or have a look at our Spanish & Hiking package!

The Escuela Montalbán Team
 

The Alpujarra Mountains in springtime are the perfect destination to combine a Spanish course in Granada with hiking tours!

Its strategic location close to the Mediterranean sea beside the high mountains, which are declared as a National Park and Nature Reserve turns this region into the home of an authentic treasure of flora and fauna; in short, the perfect place for walking and hiking.

DESCRIPTION:
We'll drive to Güéjar Sierra and our starting and finishing point will be at an
altitude of 2,088 m.  The first part of the route will lead us to Peña Partida shelter (2 hrs.). From here you will have a privileged view of all the Sierra Nevada peaks. Then we keep ascending until we reach the entrance of the headwaters of the Lavaderos de la Reina.

In this area, you'll discover an idyllic landscape made up of waterfalls and small lakes. We'll have lunch at the lowest part of this glacial valley. We will spend two hours in the lower part, visiting the area, eating and contemplating this stunning scenery. We'll then take the route back to the Peña Partida shelter.

We recommend carrying water; we also recommend hiking sticks, sunglasses, trekking shoes, sun cream and a hat. Three layers of clothes, including a windstopper and warm clothes. We'll be at 2,600 m altitude it is necessary to bring gloves. A windstopper is useful for the hills.

Participants should take nuts, dried fruits, and sandwiches for our picnic in the countryside.

KEY FACTS:
Length: 17 km
Duration: full day
Highest point: 2,690 m
Accumulated height difference: 768m ascent
Difficulty: Medium-High. Requires resistance due to its long itinerary and high altitude.
Departure time (Granada): 7:30 am
Arrival time (Granada): 7:00 pm

Los Cahorros is a hiking trail in the lower hills of the Sierra Nevada. It's located in Monachil, a small village just 8 Kilometers from Granada's center.

Los Cahorros is a circular trail, that means you start and finish in the same place (near the restaurant). The trail is roughly 8 km long.

We can divide the trail into two parts: the first 2 km through the Los Cahorros gorge and the remaining 6 km where you have to walk up and down the hill to return to the village of Monachil. Theintoamous hanging bridges, the waterfalls swimming spots and the rocks you have to crawl under are all in the first part. The second part starts at the end of the gorge and consists of a return via a high limestone rock track.

Beautiful views, a cascading river that creates rock pools for swimming, narrow caves and tunnels that you have to crawl through or hang off the rock face, walking along the gorge and, of course, the famous hanging bridges made our day memorable and fun!

Do you love nature? Also in 2019 Paco is going to offer short hikes during the week. So students can enjoy the wondeful landscapes of Granada Province. This is a wonderful experience and a nice complement to your Spanish lessons in the morning.

So, bring your hiking shoes ... maybe the weather is fine and Paco organizes an excursion!