School Blog

Granada, is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. The Alhambra has its own special beauty and charm that makes it the most visited sight in all of Spain. However, Granada, has apart from its rich history and culture, also a lot to offer to the nature lover. The nearby Natural Parks and National Park Sierra Nevada turn it into a true gem of a location for ecotourists, furthermore, its central position makes visits to other Andalusian regions a matter of a couple of hours tops. 

Sierra y Sol is a company from Granada that specializes in designing routes through the natural areas and parks of eastern Andalusia and in serving as guides for the visitors, showing them the cultural and natural heritage of the region. They offer a wide range of hiking routes, starting from an easy stroll that takes just a couple of hours, to a longer, a day or couple of days long trip, however, the focus is always the same, enjoying and discovering the great outdoors.

Have a look at their planned trips down here: Sierra y Sol

 

Hiking on the weekends
If you are looking for a full-day hike or a long weekend hike, you can take part in the guided hikes of the provider Sierra & Sol.

Under the direction of Teresa Madrona Moreno, day trips are offered on the weekends in the Sierra Nevada national park or in the natural parks of our province.

Scheduled hikes will start in autumn! For further information on prices and dates, please visit the Sierra & Sol website

This route literally translates to 'the washing place of the queen' and here you will hike through beautiful lush meadows that are fed by the mountain springs. The best time to visit is in spring when the mountain snow is melting, but it is possible to do the walk in summer and early autumn as well. Remember to check the conditions before you go – the area can still be snow-covered well into May or even June. The upper Lavaderos are at an altitude of over 2500m, so the walk is not accessible in winter without specialist equipment.

This is a long walk, but not particularly difficult, although there is a steady climb at the beginning, and you also need to clamber down some rocks beside the waterfall. There is no signposting, but the route is relatively easy to follow, apart from a short section around the Lavaderos, where you need to take special care in following the map and route description.

The walk starts around 10km east of Güéjar Sierra village. Access is a little difficult, as it involves driving along about 10km of unsurfaced, bumpy mountain roads. It is perfectly possible to get there in a normal car, but don't set out unless you are comfortable driving on this kind of road. From Granada, take the A-395 towards Sierra Nevada. Take the exit marked Pinos Genil, Güéjar Sierra, Dúdar, Quéntar and follow the road under the A-395 and across the river Genil. Turn right, and after 2.5km turn left for Güéjar Sierra.

When you enter the village (after 8km), take the right turn signposted Río Genil, Río Maitena. Follow the road round until you get to a set of wooden signs for accommodation and places of interest. Bear left, marked towards Sierra Nevada, Río Genil. At the next junction, turn right (signed towards Maitena, Charcón, Sierra Nevada). Just after you leave the village, take the left turn marked towards Camping Cortijo Balderas. After 2km, the road narrows, with a big rock on the right-hand side. Straight after this, turn right. The road is marked as "no entry", but don't worry about this. The road descends to the river, and a little while after this turns into a dirt track. Keep to the main track, following the signs for cyclists. Keep going until you reach a chain across the road, where the walk starts. In total, from the turn-off to the chain it is about 12km.
This walk is not accessible by public bus.

For guided hiking tours combined with a Spanish course visit our course section.

Stone benches with fantastic views mean that there are plenty of places where you can stop for breather. Refill your water bottles at the source of the River Darro, one of the two rivers that run through Granada.

Check out here further information about this hike!

 

Granada a city with 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 city life! Thursday, 17th March 2016, a beautiful sunny spring day! Paco with his dog Bruno took a group of students to the fantastic route Cruz de Viznar in Sierra de Alfaguara!

You can find Cruz de Viznar, at the Sierra Alfaguara that is located in the Natural Park of Sierra de Huétor. The view is amazing because it is far enough away from the Sierra Nevada to see the whole mountain range topped with snow in this time of the year.

We started our route at Viznar village, that is approximately 7 km away from Granada. From Viznar it is a 30-minute walk to the Cruz de Viznar. From there we went to La Cueva del Agua. With all the hiking tour took around 3 hours.

We like to take our students here since the climb up is steady rather than steep, therefore we can take students from every age.

The village of Monachil itself, however, is not on the usual tourist route. Bit-by-bit word is beginning to spread with an increasing number of people finding their way to this natural paradise. Monachil is home to the beautiful Cahorros gorge, a rock climber’s and hiker’s paradise. It is also home to a very easy, and very beautiful walk across Monachil’s famous hanging bridges. Following the course of a river out and back.

Our school offers hiking tours all year round in Granada Natural Parks. 

Students can book 2 guided trekking afternoons a week in addition to a general Spanish language course. You go alone with a professional guide. This allows you to practice Spanish while having a nice walk!

Have a look at dates and prices here!

The Alpujarra is a region of mountain villages to the south of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which nestle in sheltered valleys and gorges running down towards the Mediterranean Sea. Its terraced farmlands have a continuous supply of water from melting snow above, giving the area the appearance of a high-altitude oasis. Its strategic location close to the Mediterranean sea beside the high mountains, which are declared as a National Park (at high elevations) and Nature Reserve (villages were settled here) turns this region into the home of an authentic treasure of flora and fauna; in short, the perfect place for walking and hiking.

Lavaderos de la Reina is an area of lush meadows fed by mountain springs at 2500m, near Güejar Sierra Village. The best time to visit is in early summer, when the melting snow feeds the gushing streams. The first part of the route also gives some great views of the Sierra Nevada.

It is a 6 hours walk, but not particularly difficult, although there is a steady climb at the beginning, and you also need to clamber down some rocks beside the waterfall. There are no signs, but the route is relatively easy to follow.

The Lavaderos are at their most beautiful when the snow is melting around May/June, but it is possible to do the walk in summer and early autumn as well.

The area is a dramatic limestone massif, weathered over millennia into a series of valleys and peaks, making it fantastic walking country. River valleys, tumbling cascades, fabulous views over olive groves, mountain sierras and hillsides sprinkled with red peonies and orchids form the backdrop to the walks.

We recommend the following walk:
A path climbs gently above Zuheros before descending through almond groves to the Rio Bailon. Then, with golden eagles soaring above, you reach Cerro de Bramadero hilltop where you can relax under cork oaks enjoying wonderful valley views. You return past walnut trees and ancient wells on the way to the verdant river gorge that leads back into Zuheros.