Valle de Lecrin:
Travelling south from Granada in the 7th Century the Moors reached a vast, fertile valley surrounded by mountains. The land had everything they prized - good earth, free-flowing rivers and the natural fortification of the sierras. Captivated by its beauty, they named it El Valle de Lecrín - the Valley of Happiness.
Nestled in between the mountains lies a gentle land - of rolling countryside, rich with orange and lemon groves, almonds, olives and grape vines - and timeless, sleepy villages where sheep and goats are herded through narrow streets and where the mule is still a prized possession.
More easily accessible than Las Alpujarras, Granada can be reached in under 30 minutes, as can the beaches of the Costa Tropical.
El Valle de Lecrín is made up of a collection of villages, varying in size.
Granada:
Granada is an enchanting city, lying at the foot of the impressive Sierra Nevada mountain range, the highest in Spain. It was the capital of Spain’s last Moorish kingdom, before it was reconquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. As a result, Granada has an unmistakable Arab flavour. Its cuisine, crafts and urban layout are a consequence of the city’s glorious history and give it a unique charm. To experience this, all you need to do is stroll around the narrow cobbled streets where you stumble across the atmospheric ‘teterías’ (tea shops) serving a full range of teas, including the mint teas so typical of North Africa, served in an unmistakably Moorish environment. Add to this the many fountains, viewpoints, Cármenes (the villas surrounded by gardens typical of the city) and the spectacular views to the surrounding snow-capped mountains, and it is easy to see why Granada attracts visitors from all around the world.
The Alhambra:
Granada is, of course, home to the Alhambra and the Generalife gardens, which together with the Albaicín, one of the oldest districts in Granada, have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Alhambra Palace is an artistic gem of Arab Granada, built between the 13th and the 15th centuries. Today, the monument is divided into four main areas: the Nasrid Palaces which are composed of many rooms linked by courtyards, gardens and fountains, the military zone or Alcazaba , the city or Medina and the Generalife, the summer residence of the Nazarite Monarchs. Other notable buildings belonging to a different time period are also included, such as the Renaissance style Palace of Charles V, which houses the Alhambra Museum (most of the items are from the site of the monument) and the Fine Art Museum.
