Trails of the Alpujarras
This active trekking trip starts in noble Granada, a cultural gem and the last Moorish kingdom to survive until conquered by the Catholic King Ferdinand in 1492. You then move to the valleys of the Alpujarra Alta which lie south of the Sierra Nevada. Here, the proximity of the Mediterranean and the landscape - which varies from sub-tropical valley to arid mountainside - guarantee an incredible diversity of vistas. The remarkable Poqueira gorge cuts deeply into the mountains, creating a stage for sleepy mountain villages. This is quintessential Andalucia - whitewashed houses with wrought-iron grills, the splash of colour of a painted shutter or a geranium-filled window box, the cooling murmur of a fountain on a quiet square, and the sultry silence during the heat of the day when the siesta takes over. Dramatic scenery and a network of paths make for fine walking. The slopes of Mulhacen- the highest peak in mainland Spain - and its companions offer something just a bit more challenging.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(HK-5189-P) |
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Flights |
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Accomodation |
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7 continental breakfasts |
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Price Excludes |
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Local Payment 50 Euro, 7 continental breakfasts are included though you may choose to augment these from the hotel menu prior to a full day's walk. You must pay for all other meals yourself (you can eat quite well for £10-15 per day). Optional Excursions. |
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Suitability / Level |
Moderate |
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Max Group Size |
15 |
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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DAY 1 - DEPART LONDON: After your flight, you transfer to your first night's accommodation and check in. The
evening is free to relax. Hotel - 2 nights
DAY 2 - GRANADA - VISIT ALHAMBRA: Today you will visit the impressive Alhambra Palace and have the chance to explore Granada's historic centre. The city stands in a lovely situation where the fertile vega, or plain,
gives way to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The first Arab forces arrived in Southern Spain in 710 and over the next centuries the entire Iberian Peninsula - as far as the Pyrenees - came under their sway. Although they gave the name al-Andalus to their entire domain, the south of Spain was its heartland. Relatively insignificant in its early days, the city-state only rose to prominence as the capital of the Nasrid dynasty when most of al-
Andalus had been retaken by the Christian forces of the royal houses of Aragon and Castile. Yet due to skilful political strategy, Moorish rule survived here for another 250 years to produce the greatest Moslem monuments of all. The most famous of these are the unique fortified palace of the Alhambra, and the summer retreat of the Generalife. More ornate than any building in the Maghreb (the North African homeland of the Berber Moors), and unlike anywhere else in the world, the Alhambra represents the pinnacle of Moorish decorative arts - as if they reached their zenith only when exported to this new and virgin terrain! The layout of the complex - solid fortifications, living quarters for civil servants and the Caliph's residence - gives you a taste of everyday life in the 12-15th centuries. Its embellishment is ample proof that the ruling Moors were not austere and puritanical, but had a love of life and were full of surprises. The afternoon is free to explore. As well as the relics of Moorish rule, there's a host of fine Renaissance buildings including the cathedral
and other imposing edifices. On another hillside across from the Alhambra is the Albaicin - the most authentic of Moorish quarters. Here narrow streets wind around the hillside amongst fine villas, numerous churches and mosques, as well as ancient water tanks and the last remnants of old city?s defensive walls. From each tiny pIaza it is ever possible to catch glimpses of the sheer red sides of the massive Alhambra Palace
opposite. The foot of the Albaicin is a lively neighbourhood of Moroccan tea shops and stalls selling a multitude of crafts from North Africa. Exotic Arab restaurants make an excellent option for dinner whilst a night-cap in the nearby Plaza Santa Ana affords one of the most impressive views of the Alhambra - its mighty outer walls and towers strikingly illuminated against the black night. (B)
DAY 3 - BUBION: This morning you leave the city by bus. On crossing the vega, the road climbs steeply over a pass, the Puerto del Suspiro del Moro (850m) where, according to tradition, Boabdil - the last Moorish ruler - paused to look back and lament the loss of his kingdom to the Catholic Kings. Turning eastward, you leave
the road which runs down to the coast - only an hour or so away - and head into the great valleys which lie at right angles to the high crestline of the Sierra Nevada. Although the area was inhabited in early times, its name - Las Alpujarras - is derived from the Arabic word for grassland, al-Busherata, for it was the occupying Moors who transformed these valleys into some of the most fertile in Spain. After the fall of Granada in 1492, the Moors retreated to this remote area which remains fairly isolated even today. By introducing terraces and irrigation, they were able to cultivate semi-tropical fruits - maybe to remind them of home - and the grapes, oranges, lemons, avocados, bananas and figs that grow here are still renowned. Their complex system of aquecias, or irrigation channels, are still in use today. The traditional architecture echoes that of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco; tiers of Cubist houses (painted white), their flat roofs covered with heavy stones, spill down the hillside, the roof of one serving as the terrace for the one above it. After settling in, you have time for an afternoon walk to orientate yourself, perhaps heading for the Taha, the area of white or "lost" villages that lie between the Trevelez and Poqueira rivers, on the edge of the Poqueira Gorge. Hotel - 2 nights (B)
DAY 4 - BUBION - MT. MULHACEN: (Free day but with the option of taking a 4WD excursion to Mulhacen).
A scattering of some eighty villages and hamlets make up the Alpujarras; in addition to these, a number of isolated cortijos (manor houses) and farms are linked by a network of paths and tracks. Some of these tracks are old caminos reales, the highways of medieval Spain, once plied by mule trains. Horses are still commonly used to get around; due to the nature of the terrain there's often no other way to get out to a piece of land which may be far from the village. Today you can drive (optional) to within walking distance of the summit of Mulhacen
(3,482m). The immense bulk of mainland Spain's highest peak takes its name from the penultimate Caliph of Granada, Muljey- Hacen, who - legend recounts - was buried in a glacier on top of the mountain. Accompanied by a professional and knowledgeable mountain guide, Land Rovers take you up the road through pine forest and then an almost desert-like wilderness high above Bubion and Capileira. Leaving your vehicle, you can reach the summit after a few hours of walking; the views are breathtaking. After a picnic lunch, you can follow another path back to the vehicle before retracing your route back down the mountain. (B)
DAY 5 - TREVELEZ: In the morning you depart Bubion to walk to Busquistar. You commence by climbing a
ridge above the village for rewarding views to the peaks of the high Sierra behind, and below to the wide valley of the Lower Rio Trevelez sculpted by terraces and speckled with bright white villages. You descend to Pitres and from there continue through a succession of tiny hamlets clinging to the steep slopes of the valley and whose white walls and roofs are splashed with the bright reds and yellows of geraniums or perhaps chilli peppers or corn cobs drying in the sun. You walk unburdened (except for a daypack containing the ingredients for a picnic lunch) and anything else needed during the day. Pausing to fill your bottle from the village fountains you continue to Busquistar where you catch a bus to Trevelez. Your baggage is sent by road and will be waiting on your arrival. Hotel - 3 nights (B)
DAY 6 - TREVELEZ: From this pleasant village you have a choice of walks over the next two days. For a gentle
option, you can amble up the valley of the Trevelez River, pausing for an occasional refreshing splash in its cool waters, or using it to cool a bottle of wine as you stop for a picnic lunch in the heat of the day. Those with
more energy can undertake a stiff 3-hour climb to the summit of Mount Penabon, where ibex roam, and which stands high above the village providing marvellous photo opportunities of the valley below. Though relatively barren at these heights, the surrounding countryside is certainly scenic. (B)
DAY 7 - TREVELEZ: With access to the barren upper slopes of the Sierra Nevada, there are a variety of walks to
choose - from an easy potter along a treelined river valley, to a full day's walk (6-7 hours) to the Siete Lagunas (Seven Lagoons), which lie below the summit of Mulhacen. This involves a steep ascent, initially through cultivated cortijos, which give way to barren upper slopes of shale. The grey stone is patched with snow and criss-crossed by rushing streams that tumble over rock faces. If you were to continue for a further 2 hours steep climb, you would end up right back at the summit of Mulhacen as seen earlier in the trip. (B)
DAY 8 - FREE; FLY TO LONDON: This morning you transfer by bus to Granada airport and fly to London. (B)
(BLD = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner). |
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Accommodation
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Transport & Accommodation
On foot, taxi, public bus, charter bus. Hotels (7nts). 7 continental breakfasts included. Flights (Schedules & airlines can change.) Direct flights with Monarch from London Gatwick. Depart UK 14.15, Return UK 22.00. UK domestic add-on available. |
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Holidays
Extras |
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Included
