The local area and Sierra Nevada mountains
Our holiday cottages sit at 1,150m on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains - in an area known as Las Alpujarras. This is fabulous walking country, which can be enjoyed in any season. The whole area is protected and the high mountain is classified as a National Park. It is Spain's largest and contains some 80 endemic plant species.
The flowing water (one of the great surprises so far south), the enormous variety of scenery, the abundant flowers and wildlife, the pretty unspoilt villages, the wonderful climate, and the proximity to the coast and to Granada make this a very special place to holiday.
We hope the following information on this page will be helpful:
- local villages and amenities
- travel times to places of interest
- local activities of interest
- the Alpujarras and the Sierra Nevada mountains
Local villages and amenities
The largest local village is Pitres, which is 3km away or, following the GR7 long-distance route, a 20-minute walk uphill along stunning scenery. It has all facilities, including supermarkets, health food store, chemist, medical clinic, bank, laundry, stationery/gift shop and restaurants as well as a weekly Friday market. Pitres is now equipped with a new observatory and telescope.
500m from la Viñuela is Atalbeitar, one of the most unspoilt Moorish hamlets in the high Alpujarra, which has no shops.
Two kilometres away you will also find the picturesque villages of Ferreirola and Mecina with bars and restaurants.
In the Poqueira valley, 9 kms away, you will be able to get all the information and resources you need to explore the high summits of the Sierra Nevada and to potter about the three most visited villages of the Alpujarras: Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira.
Travel times to places of interest
| Location | Interest | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Granada city | Alhambra Palace, Albaicín etc | approx 1h30 |
| Costa Tropical | beaches, Salobreña, Nerja | approx 1h30 |
| Órgiva | market on Thursdays | approx 30 mins |
| Trevélez | World-famous air-cured ham | approx 20 mins |
| Sierra Nevada | ski station (103 pistes) | approx 1h50 |
The following websites will provide you with further information on the wider area:
Activities in the area
A wide range of activities are on the doorstep or close at hand - we have listed some below.
Walking: La Viñuela is at the heart of a vast network of trails both local and long distance, including the GR7 (more information), which borders the property, the GR 142 and the GR240 known as "Sulayr" or "sunny mountain" which goes all around the Sierra Nevada.
Along this superb long distance path you will discover the famous acequias (irrigation channels built by the Arabs), the aljibes (water reservoirs), the escarihuelas (stone steps zigzaging up the mountain), the old mills for grain or olives, the eras or threshing grounds and, in each village, the old fountain or wash house.
Choose walks of any length and at any level - whether a gentle butterfly-studded stroll at mid mountain level or a dramatic wild walk on the high mountain. Specialised guides are available (see Outdoors activities below).
Treks and Trails recommend La Viñuela as a base for walking in the Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada, and offer hiking tours on their website.
Butterflies and wild flowers: British Butterflies also recommend La Viñuela as an excellent base for wildlife enthusiasts.
Horse riding: There are two outstanding stables in the area which organise horse-riding treks: Camino Verde and Sierra Trails
Outdoor activities: Nevadensis are official mountain guides for the Sierra Nevada and run a very interesting, helpful Information Centre in Pampaneira (tel +34 958 763 127). They offer the following guided activities in the area:
- high mountain excursions
- climbing
- alpine and cross-country skiing
- snow-shoeing
- guided walks at all levels
- flora and fauna guided walks
- canyoning
- canoeing
Mountain biking: Routes and riding packages can be arranged with Ciclomontana who are based nearby.
Cookery: Cookery classes are available from a very experienced vegeterian chef who has won numerous prizes and organises courses. The cuisine, with a french and oriental flavour, can be enjoyed at his vegetarian restaurant, L'Atelier in Mecina (mecinilla@yahoo.com or tel +34 958 857 501).
Flamenco: courses and shows in Pitres and Capileira and of course in the Sacromonte in Granada, now renowned internationally for its dance and Flamenco festival in the summer.
Music: a wide range of musical activities are organised in la Taha de Pitres throughout the year, from choir singing to contemporary or classical concerts. A first class Jazz Festival is held every August in the nearby village of Busquistar.
Spa resort: The nearby town of Lanjarón offers a healing spa, tel (+34) 958 770 137
Crafts: leatherwork, pottery, ceramics, jewellery and the famous locally wovened "jarapas" (rugs) and "esparto" baskets (woven from grass) can be seen and bought in local shops.
Las Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada mountains are Europe's most southerly major mountain range, and are second only to the Alps in height. The range has 20 peaks over 3,000m, all in the western end of the range, where La Viñuela is situated.
The Sierra's ridge runs roughly east-west and parallel to the south coast. The distance from the ridge to the coast is less than 40km, but within that span all five of Spain's mediterranean subclimates are represented. This helps explain how in a range of less than 1% of Spain's land area nearly a third of the country's 7,000+ plant species can be found. And, of course, enormous varieties of butterflies, insects and birds follow suit. For more information please consult the following link: British Butterflies.
The Alpujarras is the area roughly defined by the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the valleys below. The area's name may come from the Arabic for "place of silk" – raw silk production was the mainstay of the area's economy in the middle ages.
The Alpujarras in History
The Alpujarras has been inhabited for thousands of years. In village craft shops you will see "esparto" baskets, rope and shoes – articles which have been hand-woven here from the same local grass for over five thousand years. Phoenicians, Romans, and North African muslims have all left their marks - some of them attracted by the rich minerals in the Sierra Nevada as well as by the abundance of water.
The legacy of the Arab world is particularly evident in the field of architecture (houses staggered down the mountainsides and nested with "tinaos"), agriculture (irrigation canals still called by their arabic name "acequias") and food (almond soup, lamb with quince etc).
For more information on this fascinating area please see the following websites: Las Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada National Park
We stayed for a week and wished we could have stayed for a whole lifetime
