The Lecrín Valley

ALBUÑUELAS, the highest village [737m], has a bank, pharmacy, shops, bars, restaurant, summer bar with pool, hostal, daily bread deliveries to the door and fresh fish and vegetables also by vans, a weekly market and a regular daily bus service to Granada and places en route. There is an XVIIIc church, below, a XIVc Moorish tower, Torre de Bayo, XVIIIc Archbishop’s Palace, Convent and Hermitage.
 
SALERES village [562m] has an XVIIIc church with some Mudéjar azulejos and tiny market - 2 miles [or 2 kms by the scenic E4 GR7 footpath following above the Rio Santo, through the campos].

RESTÁBAL village [542m], right, with church, new hermitage on hill above, bank, few shops and bars - 3 miles
 
MELEGÍS village [557m], 
church with some Mudéjar azulejos, 2 restaurants, bank, few shops, bars and a wonderful 3 days of Fiesta at San Juan, right - 4 miles
 
LECRÍN which comprises:

MURCHAS [667m] village with church, shop and bar - 5 miles
CHITE [550m] village with XVIc church, fine Mudéjar ceiling, and a walk down to Lake Béznar - 5 miles
TALARÁ [704m] small town on the old trunk road N323 from Granada to the coast at Motril, with XVIIIc church, restaurants, bank, shops, bars and 'night-clubs' – 5 miles
MONDÚJAR [739m] village with ruins of the Arab castle, right, where the kings and queens of Granada were buried and an XVIc church, with a particularly fine Mudéjar ceiling - 6 miles and where the new N323 south is joined.
 
BÉZNAR [523m] village with Gothic Mudéjar XVIc church, and access to walks alongside Embalse de Béznar - 7 miles

DÚRCAL [789m] bigger town, a mile north along the old N323, with churches, hotels, restaurants, banks, cash machines, shops, daily market and big Wednesday morning market on the west edge of town, bars, night-clubs, mountain bike hire shop, thermal springs and access to the Sierra Nevada Parque Natural - 7 miles. The N323 motorway and trunk roads continue to Granada via Padul and over the col of El Suspiro de Moro [named after the last Moorish king Boabdil’s sigh, on looking back to Granada, en route to exile in Lecrín, before returning to Africa].
 
NIGÜELAS [938m] pretty village on the east side of the valley giving access to Caballo [3013m] and the Sierra Nevada by the E4 GR7 and other paths and tracks. XVIc Palacio de los Zayas town hall and fascinating XIVc Las Larerillas oil and corn mill MUSEUM – 7 miles
 
VILLAMENA which comprises 
COZVÍJAR [748m] with VINEYARD [Bodega Señorio de Nevada, Cortijo Venta Nevada] 
and CÓNCHAR [682m] with XVIc Mudéjar style church and Moorish watchtower, below; villages west of Dúrcal with direct mountain road to Albuñuelas, giving access to new N323 motorway, Granada to Motril, at junction 153 - 7 miles
 
Caminos Forestales

There are some excellent main broad unmetalled forest roads; two climbing west from Albuñuelas to 1300m with spectacular views and chance to see partridge [perdix], wild boar [jalabí], deer [ciervo], ibex [cabra des montés] and eagles [águila]. They are wide and safe enough with care in 2-wheel drive, in normal conditions. [There are many others where I would want 4WD!]
 
Turn left on leaving Albuñuelas, after the cemetery, then left again in a couple of hundred metres to pass above Fernán Núñez. After about one km the metalled surface ends and in another km the road forks - keep left and through the old brickworks for the route along the gorge, about 11 miles, or right for the higher route, 8 miles. Both come out on the old Almuñecar to Granada via Suspiro del Moro road, about 5 miles apart. Another forestal forks off southeast about 2 miles after the brickworks to offer a route over the Sierra de los Guájares, down to Guájar Alto [with welcoming Pepe’s restaurant] and the coast. [See the maps in the Casa]
 
Walking

LONG DISTANCE FOOTPATH 
E4 GR7
[Senderos de Gran Recorrido] Zaffaraya, Jayena, Prado de Lopera, Albuñuelas, Saleres, Restábal, Murchas, Nigüelas to Lanjarón passes right through the village here. It leaves the Barrio Bajo eastwards along Calle Mojon, behind this house, and westwards along Calle Estación at the far end of Albuñuelas and across the river. [For a 2 hour walk follow this route west until it crosses back to the north side of the river and return via the forestal. On foot or mule you can cut back down to the village at the western end, to Tres Lindes or, further east, passing Cortijo del Pin to the car park above us. For an alternative route, turn eastwards to Saleres, return via the road and fork left at the west end of the garden] [See the maps in the Casa]
 
SHORTER ROUTES 
As well as the E4 GR7 there is no end to the choice of shorter routes. There are three bridges across the Rio Santo giving access via mule tracks steeply up the south side of the gorge: from Calle Zoraba in Barrio Bajo and Plaza de Gracia and Calle Estación in Barrio Alto. Alternatively you can head north, not quite so steeply, from the latter two points or from the car park, and access the forestal above the village. In either case once up you can travel east or west, relatively horizontally, before returning to the village. There are routes along the north shore of Lake Béznar that can be accessed from Melegís, Chite, Béznar and the dam below Pinos del Valle. Also, the routes of al Idrisi and of Leon el Africano are marked leading northwards from here, 40km to Granada.
 
SEA VIEWS 
Four hours gives a choice of round trips to the south, up into the Sierra de los Guájares. The climb of just over 500m is rewarded by views down to the Mediterranean and even Africa on a clear day. There is a 4WD track running east/west along the watershed at about 1200m. It leaves the forestal that turns south off the Brickworks forestal at the point on the map marked helipuerto, before it runs down to Guájar Faragüit and the coast. It follows the high points, heading east, until it passes just north of the summit of Giralda [1431m] then also turns south and down to Guájar Faragüit.
 
This high route can also be accessed by another 4WD route that runs south after crossing the riverbed above the top bridge or by the dry riverbed that goes south from the middle bridge, making plenty of choices of round trips. Apart from the odd chacarero in the fields lower down and muleteers, you will hardly see a soul.

Cycling 
There is no limit to the choice for mountain bikers [and ambitious walkers]. From the main caminos forestales to lesser 4WD tracks, from the network of mule tracks that predates the roads to Europe’s highest road, at over 3000m, crossing the Sierra Nevada.
There are plenty of quiet roads for on-road riders, though not many that are flat.

Granada Province 

GRANADA
[682m] a World Heritage Centre with the Alhambra, Generalife palace and gardens, Albaicín white town sat on the adjacent hill, university [1526], monasteries [1492 and 1516], cathedral [1523] and important Plaza de Torros [1928].
Capital of the Arab Kingdom in Europe for 800 years until the reconquest by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Every sort of shop, restaurant and hotel, including a Parador, and classical, flamenco, jazz and Arabic music available in many different venues. 23 miles and only 30 minutes by the new motorway.

SANTA FE
Pretty little town, 10 miles west of Granada, established on the site of the camp where Ferdinand and Isabella took the Moors’ surrender of Granada and commissioned Columbus’s voyage west in 1492. XVIc church and its square from which you can see all four city gateways. Home of Piononos, a sweet almond pastry, invented in 1897 by Señor Ysla. 

GUADIX
[949m] and PURULLENA - with over 10,000 people, the largest cave community in Europe. Superb cathedral, Arab castle, extensive range of ceramics made by cave dwelling gypsies and open air market on Saturday mornings - 35 miles east from Granada over Puerto de la Mura, 1390m.

ALMUÑECAR
stylish, traditional and still undiscovered by the Brits, seaside resort with Phoenician [they called it Sexi], Roman and Moorish past. Excellent range and quality of shops in traffic-free narrow streets of the old town, just behind the eastern promenade. Go via the forestal as above then turn south for 25 miles of winding dramatic mountain road descent to the sea. Return via Salobreña [on the E15, Algeciras to Inverness] in less than an hour.

SALOBREÑA
castle, port and white arab hilltop town with long bathing beach on The Costa Tropical, favoured by the Spanish with super seafood, seafront restaurants - 6 miles of minor road then 19 miles by N323 motorway/trunk road.

MULHACEN
[3482m] and PICO VELETA [3398m], SIERRA NEVADA, highest mountains in Spain with the highest road in Europe running up to 3353m and crossing the Sierra Nevada. 20 miles of unsurfaced road, closed by snow for some 6 months of the year, and now generally closed to motor traffic to protect the fragile ecostructure, from Prado Llano ski resort on the north side to Capileira in the Alpujarra on the south. The excellent fast new road to Prado Llano is well worth the trip all year round for the views [on a clear day] but busy at weekend. The road allows you to drive well above the resort and, in summer, walk to the summit of Pico Veleta. 40 miles - bear east on the motorway south of Granada.

ALPUJARRAS
east of the fine spa town of LANJARÓN [660m] which has an arab castle, many hotels, pools and bottles much of Spain’s spa water - 6 miles to the N323 then 6 miles by motorway/trunk road. Stunningly pretty area of steep valleys and tiny villages on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada, long isolated, refuge to the Moors in XVI century, now becoming known to tourists and made famous by Gerald Brennan in South from Granada and latterly Chris Stewart in Driving over Lemons. They lived in Yegen and above Orgiva, respectively.

ORGIVA
[456m] is the principal town in the area with a market on Thursday mornings.

JAYENA [874m] village, over the hills to the west, with SWIMMING in the EMBALSE DE LOS BERMAJALES. Take either of the broad unmade forestales, as above. Both come out at the Almuñecar to Suspiro del Moro Road about 5 miles apart, left then right from the south route or straight across from the northern one for Jayena, a further 8 miles on minor roads. Continue a further 12 miles to Hotel El Venturo [tel 958 35 04 38], 2 miles south of Alhama de Granada - in a wonderful position on a small lake/wildfowl reserve with hides, walks and ‘excursiones en burro, caballo y bicicletta’. Centre of some fine mountain scenery north of the SIERRA DE TEJEDA national reserve.

ALHAMA DE GRANADA [888m]
Small town with Moorish castle and interesting old centre in stunning position above a steep gorge. A couple of kms north is a spa hotel where you can bathe in arab or Roman thermal baths where the spring water comes naturally at 48°C [28 miles]

Andalucía 

NERJA and 5 miles inland, FRIGILANA, white Arab hilltop town. One of the Costa del Sol’s finest and most popular resorts, very touristy and British, extensive caves occupied 12,000 BC, 24 miles west from Salobreña.

MÁLAGA
Airport, city and one of the Costa del Sol’s principal resorts. A wonderful old town centre, cathedral and Plaza de Toros overlooked by Moorish castle and adjacent Parador. La Concepcion Botanical Garden just north. Many fine seafood restaurants, especially in El Palo to the east. A further 35 miles west from Nerja. About 2 hours from Albuñuelas 91 miles by coast road or less via Granada and motorway/trunk road 106 miles.

CÓRDOBA [124m] After completion of the Great Mosque in 976 [the largest and most impressive in the west] Córdoba became the largest and most cultured city in Europe. With a university older than Oxford’s, it stands on the river Guadalquivir, 75 miles above Seville. Just south is MONTILLA, an important centre of viniculture and home of Amontillado - 129 miles via Granada and trunk road.

SEVILLA Andalucía’s capital, on the river Guadalquivir, an important inland port, fourth largest city in Spain [fourth largest and most powerful city in the world in the 1600s] is a mix of old and new. The Alcázar Palace dates from 1181 and the university from 1502. The cathedral [1402] includes a minaret from the earlier mosque [1180]; the stunning Plaza d’España was built for the Exposition of 1929 and much more for Expo 92. Famous for its fiestas and flamenco and nearby JEREZ, with its sherry and white horses, CÁDIZ and SANLÚCAR on the Atlantic coast - 181 miles, less than three hours, via Granada and motorway.

BAEZA [760m] and ÚBEDA Two cities of great influence in the 16th century, nestling in the olive groves of Jaén province, stunning gems of renaissance magnificence - 90 miles north from Granada.

ALGECIRAS 
and MOROCCO
Being able to see the mountains of Morocco from the Sierra Nevada might tempt you. Ferries run from Algeciras, Tarifa and Gibraltar to Tangiers and Ceuta. It's 3 hours drive to Algeciras, which offers the widest choice including day-return foot-passenger tickets, 2½ hours or high-speed crossings. Other information

Railways
The train services in Andalucía are of a very high standard. Day-trips to Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Algeciras and Ronda from Granada are all possible. The prices are reasonable, the trains on time and the standards of comfort very good. Worthwhile for the journey itself.

Skiing
SIERRA NEVADA The Prado Llano resort, developed in the 60s and 70s was hugely improved to host the 1997 and 2000 World Championships. It has 19 lifts and 61 km of pistas between 2080 and 3398m [6824 and 11,148ft] giving 1318m vertical [4324ft] skiing late into the Spring, further enhanced by 22 km of pistas fitted with snow cannons. - 40 miles - bear east on the motorway south of Granada – excellent fast new road all the way and underground car parks with lifts up to the village square, shops, bars, restaurants and cablecar station. No walking! All the equipment is available for hire there at keen prices.
Well worth the trip all year round for the views [on a clear day] but busy at weekend. The road allows you to drive well above the resort and, in summer, walk to the summit of Pico Veleta.

Swimming
As well as the sea and Embalse de los Bermajales there are various pools. Albuñuelas has a small summer pool at the outdoor Bar Goleta. 
Valle del Puntal on the main Granada road and many Lanjarón hotels have pools and there is a public one at Padul. 
There are WATER PARKS at Almuñécar and Granada.

Science Park
Granada also has a new science park.

Fishing
Embalse de Béznar has excellent carp fishing.

Golf 
There are two golf courses in Granada and one less than an hour away on the coast at Motril.

CASA MORISCA Albuñuelas, Val de Lecrín, Granada www.morisca.co.uk