Illora:
The lovely white painted town of Illora is just 35 minutes drive from the centre of Granada, 10 minutes drive from Montefrio, 1 hour from the coast (Costa Tropical) and Sierra Nevada ski resorts. Illora is a superb centre for touring – Granada, Cordoba, Seville, and Jaen are each an easy day trip from here.
Illora has a host of bars and cafes and is a centre for many activities, including quad biking and hill walking in the Sierra Parapanda. The buildings are quaint, the streets are narrow and steep and are filled with character you can only experience in the heart of Spanish Spain !
Granada:
Granada, just 35 minutes drive away, is a cosmopolitan city with many attractions including the Alhambra Palace. Like most large cities, it is busy and its hotels can be impersonal and expensive. Staying in Illora is for those who want to enjoy and experience 'Real' Spain – in and amongst the Spanish – whilst being able to easily get to the major attractions in Andalucia in an easy day trip.
The area also boasts a wide range of activities for the more energetic or adventurous – from hill climbing to cycling and quad biking in the hills that surround Illora. Winter brings skiers to Europe's most southerly ski resort in the Sierra Nevada, an hour's drive from Casita Illora. The coast at Salobrena is a little over an hour's drive from Illora on Spain's excellent road network.
Sierra Nevada:
Spain may not conjure up an image of impressive snow covered mountain peaks catering for one of the world's most exclusive winter sports. In fact, Spain is Europe's second most mountainous country after Switzerland with an average altitude of around 800 metres, (2,500 ft), above sea-level.
Sierra Nevada, which means 'Snowy Mountain Range', includes some of the highest peaks in Europe not to mention the highest concentration of peaks over 3,000m in the country. The Mulhacen, at 3,482m, is Spain's highest after Mount Teide in Tenerife.
The ski terrain is prominently peaked by the jagged Veleta at 3,398m, Spain's third highest after Aneto, (3,404m), in the Pyrenees. The ski resort of Sierra Nevada offers its visitors a wide range of facilities and a ski terrain to suit skiers and snowboarders of all standards.
