Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra

Route description

Granada is dominated by the Alhambra, the palace of the Nasrid kings; book tickets well in advance, as they sell out. From Granada take the A-44 south and turn east into the Alpujarra, the valleys on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

The A-4132 climbs to the Poqueira gorge, where the white villages of Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira are stepped up the slope, with flat roofs and round chimneys in the Berber style. Trevélez, further along, is one of the highest villages in Spain and known for its cured hams.

From the Alpujarra the roads descend towards the coast, and near Nerja the village of Frigiliana climbs a hill above the sea with a Moorish quarter of white lanes and steps. The route ends in Málaga, with the Alcazaba fortress and a Picasso museum in the city where he was born.

The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so allow plenty of time and park at the entrance to the villages. The higher parts can see snow in winter, and spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking.