Walking tours in southern Spain
Granada mountains
Do you want to discover the beauty of some of the most historic places near ancient Granada? Got it. Tracing the border between Málaga and Almería, Granada is a landscape of contrasts.
Notched, snow dusted peaks. Lakes as peaceful as mirrors. This part of southern Spain is a haven for hikers, with everything from easy day hikes to ascents for seasoned climbers. Then, you can’t miss the Poqueira Valley trail.
The best day walks near Granada spread all around Sierra Nevada, Las Alpujarras, Guadix and Sierra de Castril too. This article focuses on the best day hikes; on the great walks that you can get done in half a day or a full day near Granada city.
Poqueira Valley, Granada
This hiking tour goes through three different villages, which are surrounded by nature and life. Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira have been recognized as the historical ensemble of the Valley of Poqueira, in which history and nature join to offer the visitor a very special experience.
- Location: Pampaneira, 43 miles south of Granada city.
- Total distance: 7.5 miles
- Hike time: 4 hours (total)
- Difficulty Rating: Moderate
- Total ascent: 3,000 feet
- Highest elevation: 3,500 feet
- Best For: Exploring a fantastic scenery
- Dogs: Unleashed
Regarding the trail, there are three different versions, varying on the distance, difficulty and purposes of the person. For example, there is a short version, of approximately 5.5 miles. It starts in Capileira, the village situated more on the top of the valley, and goes down through the other two villages. This is perfect for those who love photography, since the rhythm is slower and they have time to immortalize every single corner of this beautiful place.
The other two versions are for those who love hiking, because the rhythm is faster and the distance is longer as well. Furthermore, they get to find amazing spots of the nature surrounding the villages as well as contemplate the amazing cultural aspects of them. These two versions offer a journey of between 7.4 and 9.3 miles.
A bit of history
First thing to remember, this place was the home of the last moors, with Boabdil as their leader. In particular, some evidence of their setting are the berber architecture of the villages, and their narrow winding streets. Especially, they settled in this place because of the utility of the Poqueira river and the different streams of water which fall down Mulhacén and Veleta peaks, which allowed the agricultural development.
What is more, it is interesting to speculate about the names of these villages. In fact, they have a Latin and Arab origin, making reference to their natural wealth. For instance, Capileira comes from the latin word “capillaria”, which means “hair”. It refers to the position of the village at the top of the valley. Furthermore, Bubión’s name has a very interesting origin: it comes from the latin root “bull-”, which means “boil”. This is because of the springs of water that can be found in it, which make the noise like if the water were boiling.
Finally, Pampaneira is believed to come from the latin word “pampinarius”, which means “vine leaves”. This is because this village was well known for its vineyards.
If you want to learn more about this beautiful place just book the hiking tour here.
