Granada is truly blessed by its natural surroundings, enclosed by mountains on three sides and an extensive plain (la Vega) on the fourth. All of this countryside, much of it National Park, provides excellent opportunities for walking, biking and other outdoor pursuits. Of the nearby mountain ranges the Sierra Nevada is the best known, boasting the highest peaks on peninsular Spain, covered in snow for over seven months a year. In its lee, on the south-facing slopes, is an area known as the Alpujarra, still one of the most remote regions of Spain, the last outpost of the Moors following their expulsion from Granada in the late 15th century, and once the nucleus of production in Granada’s rich silk trade. In Granada itself the parkland that was once part of the hunting estates of the Moorish sultans, above the Alhambra, offers gentle walks and biking trails in the city’s environs, with routes that lead into the valleys of its two rivers, the Darro and Genil.

Alpujarra Hiking

Walking in the Alpujarra allows you to savour the slow, satisfying rhythms of life in this hidden corner of Spain. Your knowledgeable guide will lead you through countryside of orchards, cultivated terraces, woods of oaks and chestnuts, meadows of wild flowers and crystal-clear streams.  In the whitewashed, steep villages you will find shops offering basketwork, weavings and pottery. Welcoming local restaurants offer dishes which utilise fresh ingredients such as mountain-cured ham, peppers and honey. All in all, this is the place to disconnect and enjoy the simpler things of life.

Sierra Nevada Biking

The Sierra Nevada presides majestically over Granada and its surrounding countryside and is the city’s most famous natural “monument”.  With its highest peak at some 11000 feet, the mountains are covered in snow between November and May, providing a wonderful backdrop to our cycle ride in the beginnings of its foothills and nearby plains. The circular route takes us on lanes and tracks through farmland, orchards, open hillside and small villages, the gradient is easy-moderate, and there is time to stop en route to take photographs and enjoy some refreshments (included).

Granada Countryside Walks

The immediate environs of Granada yield many beautiful walks, such as this loop walk starting above the Alhambra Palaces and ending in the old city centre. The route takes us up into woods which were once the hunting estates of the Moorish sultans and from where you will have wonderful views over the city and to the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Descending into a verdant valley, we pass a ruined monastery and cross several times over the River Darro before entering the fascinating cave house district of Sacromonte.

Please ask us about other options in the countryside surrounding Granada and further afield in Andalucía.

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