The Lecrin Valley - TREASURES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA LECRIN VALLEY AND ITS VILLAGES

Situated midway between the historic city of Granada and the Costa Tropical, the Lecrin Valley and its villages are situated in the foothills of the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains, the highest peaks on the Spanish mainland.

Despite being only half an hour from either Granada or the Costa Tropical, the Lecrin Valley’s villages are a slice of real rural Spain. Some smallholders still use donkeys in the fields. The mornings are busy with tradesmen calling their wares from vans and women shopping. Around 2 pm everything stops for the midday meal and the siesta. Silence reigns until 6 pm, when people emerge again as the day starts to cool off. A drink, some tapas, a chat in the street or even a little more work in the fields can be fitted in before the evening meal around 10 pm. Most villages hold fiestas from time to time, so don’t be surprised to hear the occasional firework going off.

The Moorish influence is still evident in this region. Driving south from Granada to reach the area you will pass over the “Suspiro del Moro”, the Moor’s Last Sigh, where Boabdil, the last Moorish ruler of Spain, paused and turned for a final look at his beloved Granada before disappearing into exile in the hills in 1492. Their legacy survives not only in the buildings of the world-renowned palace of the Alhambra in Granada but also in agriculture and in cooking. They introduced barbecued and skewered meat as well as the pestle and mortar, used in the famous cold soups gazpacho and salmorejo and other dishes, as well as the frying of food in olive oil.

Granada, famous for the palace of the Alhambra, is only half an hour’s drive away. Close by the Alhambra itself is the Albaicín, an echo of the Moorish past with its labyrinthine streets and views of the Alhambra. The Cartuja, or Carthusian Monastery, in Granada is an exuberant example of baroque decoration.

The Alpujarras lie on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains and a multitude of attractive old white villages cling to the hillsides, a perfect spot for a cool lunch. The region, which is only a half hour drive from Lecrin Valley, boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna and a unique microclimate. The author of the best seller “Driving Over Lemons” and its sequels lives in the area.

The nearest beach is at Salobreña, an easy half hour’s drive through a spectacular gorge. This is a beautiful village crowned by a Moorish castle on the escarpment overlooking the sea. The beach there is coarse sand and there is a fish restaurant perched on a rocky outcrop on the beach. Beach restaurants also feature further west along the coast at La Herradura. There are more beaches and an attractive old town and Castle at Almuñecar.

There are markets to visit in most of the bigger towns, including Orgiva (Thursday mornings), Almuñecar (Friday mornings) and Granada (Sunday mornings). For kids of all ages there are two water parks. One is in Cenes, south-east of Granada, and the other is in Almuñecar.

There is no shortage of good walking, both locally around the villages and more adventurously up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The long distance GR7 European footpath takes you from Restábal past Melegís and Acequias, then on to the spa town of Lanjarón and beyond. There are also walks to nearby villages as well as down to the Béznar lake. Horse riding can be arranged locally at stables nearby.

You can drive into the Sierra Nevada mountains along a road claimed to be the highest in Europe, up to about 2400 metres and walk from there, mountain weather permitting. “Sol y Nieve”, which means sun and snow, is a premier skiing area in Spain with runs at altitudes of over 3000 metres. Indeed, around Easter time it is quite possible to ski in the morning and lie on the beach in the afternoon.

Other drives include the ‘old road’ from Granada to the coast which passes through some vertiginous country around Otivar full of wild herbs before descending to the more sultry coast at Almuñecar.

All these expeditions are within easy reach of the Lecrin Valley, yet we guarantee that, once there, you will be captivated by the peace and charm of the Valley, a place we have called home for the last fourteen years.

Written by Tim Shepstone - Owner of Property 93417 in Acequias, Lecrin Valley, Spain.