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Hiking with us
23/04/2017

Our hiking tip for May: Los Lavaderos de la Reina

On this all day hike you can experience some of the world's best panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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.

FEDELE.org FEDELE.org Instituto Cervantes Diplomas de español DELE del Instituto Cervantes. SIELE.org TANDEM International EEA FEDELE Erasmus+ UCAM Camara Madrid Bildungsurlaub CSN
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