Spanish and hiking in the Alpujarras, Andalusia

We offer you the chance to discover the southern slopes of Sierra Nevada, which provide you with beautiful walks between the snow-capped peaks and the Mediterranean sea. In spring and autumn we organize hiking tours in the Alpujarra Mountains. This trip is part of our weekly cultural programme. Participants enrol for this activity during the first course day!

The Alpujarra is a region full of mountain villages to the south of the Sierra Nevada Mountains nestled in sheltered valleys and gorges running down towards the Mediterranean Sea. Its terraced farmlands have a continuous supply of water from snow melting 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.

The area is culturally fascinating because its fifty or so villages were the last strongholds of the Spanish Muslims. Those «Moriscos» (Muslim-Christian «converts») still practiced their original religion and customs in secrecy after the fall of Granada and, in 1492, facing increasing pressure from the Catholics, fled to the mountains and settled in this remote, inaccessible area. These unique villages have held onto their past. You can still see the traditional architecture similar to the one used by the Berber tribes of North Africa: terraced clusters of square houses with flat clay and slate roofs, like those to be found in the Rif and Atlas mountains of Morocco.

If you are looking for a full-day hike, you can take part in the guided hikes of the provider Sierra y Sol. Under the direction of Teresa Madrona Moreno, day trips are offered on the weekends in the Sierra Nevada national park, to the Alpujarras or to the natural parks of our province.