What to Visit in The Alpujarra of Granada

What to Visit in The Alpujarra of Granada

What to Visit in The Alpujarra of Granada
The Alpujarras is a region of mountain towns and villages that lie on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, just one to two hour’s drive from the city of Granada in Andalusia. The area was made famous by Chris Stewart’s Driving Over Lemons series of novels about life in rural Spain, and manages to still retain much of its original and natural charm. The area is characterized by deep gorges, soaring peaks, gushing waterfalls and picturesque, white-washed villages. Here’s our roundup of where to go and what to see to make the best of your trip to this magnificent location.

 

The Spa Town of Lanjarón

The spa town of Lanjarón is celebrated for its natural spring water and was actually home to Spain’s first bottled water company, which is still active today, selling bottled Alpujarran water throughout the country. On June 23rd, like most places in Spain, the town celebrates the Fiesta de San Juan, but instead of celebrating with fireworks, they have a giant water fight – the biggest in Spain. Starting at midnight for exactly one hour, the town goes mad, spraying each other from bottles, hoses, water pistols and even fire engines. If you’re not here for the fiesta you can explore the ruins of the town’s Moorish castle and relax in the Balneario de Lanjarón spa, where you can enjoy everything from bubbling pools and massages to mud baths and steam rooms.

 

Go Skiing

The Alpujarras lie on the slopes for the Sierra Nevada, home to one of Spain’s most popular ski areas, so if you’re here from the end of November until April, then make sure to hit the slopes at the Pradollano ski resort. Pros can whizz their way down the pistes, while those who want to learn can take a lesson provided by one of the ski schools on site.

 

Buy an Alpujarran Rug

Driving through many of the Alpujarran villages, you’ll see swathes of colorfully hand-woven woolen rugs for sale, hanging outside shopfronts along the roadside. A traditional handicraft from the region, they make an original souvenir from your trip. Other typical handicrafts from the Alpujarras include woven baskets and ceramics.

Go Hiking

The Alpujarras are ideal for walking and hiking enthusiasts, with many trails and routes throughout the area, and higher into the Sierra Nevada National Park. Many of the best hikes leave from the villages of Trevélez and Bubión and can lead to beautiful waterfalls or lookout points. Those serious about hiking and mountain climbing can challenge themselves by scaling Mulhacén, the highest mountain in mainland Spain.

 

Visit the White Villages of the Poqueria Gorge

The three White Villages of the Poqueria Gorge – Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira – are among the most picturesque in the Alpujarras, filled with white-washed houses, charming little churches, shops selling traditional handicrafts and outdoor cafés. Pampaneira is the lowest of the three and is home to many cute shops, including Abuela Ili, an artisanal chocolate shop, and factory. Bubión is the next village, an ideal starting place for hikes and also home to the Casa Alpujarreña folk museum. Capileira is the highest village of the three and has many vestiges of its Moorish past, as well as a church built on the site of an old mosque. To learn more about the village and the area, visit the Museo Etnológico Pedro Antonio Alarcón.

The Roman Theatre of Málaga

The Roman Theatre of Málaga

The Roman Theatre of Málaga is located on the west slope of the Alcazaba hill. Built during the reign of Augustus, it was used until the 3rd century. It is a mixed construction, using part the slopes but there is also an artificial terrace stands support the stands.

The size and characteristics is very similar to other theatres in the Baetica, very much on the lines of the classical model proposed by Vitrubio.

It was used as a cemetery in the 5th and 6th centuries and subsequently became a source of stone for restructuring the Alcazaba, where you can still find capitals and shafts of Roman columns.

After remaining hidden for centuries, the Roman Theatre in Málaga was discovered in 1951. It has three parts: the cavea or stands, the orchestra pit or semicircular area between the stands and the stage and the proscenium or stage. The pulpitum is very well preserved, with the front bordered with niches containing remains of the original painting.

VISIT
Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am. to 6 pm.

Sunday and bank holidays from 10 am to 4 pm.

Closed: Mondays and 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December.

PRICE

Free

The Castle of Gibralfaro in Malaga

The Castle of Gibralfaro in Malaga

An impressive well-preserved 10th-century Islamic fortress

 

The magnificent Castillo de Gibralfaro sits on a high hill overlooking Malaga city and port and dates back to the 10th century.  The hill where the Gibralfaro is situated forms part of the Montes de Malaga mountain range, located to the east and north of Malaga city – this land is protected by the Montes’ natural park status.

The castle was built in 929 A.D. by Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Cordoba, on a former Phoenician enclosure and lighthouse, from which its name was derived – Gebel-faro (Arabic and Greek, meaning rock of the lighthouse). Yusef 1, Sultan of Granada, enlarged it at the beginning of the 14th century, also adding the double wall down to the Alcazaba.

The castle is famous for its three-month siege in 1494 by the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, which ended only when hunger forced the Malagueños to surrender. Afterward, Ferdinand occupied the site, while his queen took up residence in the town. Interesting historic fact: this was the first conflict in which gunpowder was used by both sides.

The most visible remains of this historic monument are the solid ramparts which rise majestically from dense woods of pine and eucalyptus; inside the fortress itself, you will find some buildings and courtyards, reminiscent of those in the Alhambra. The ramparts have been well restored and you can walk all the way around them. At one point, you can get a good view down into the La Malagueta bullring – some visitors linger for a free view of the bullfight. These walls make a fun, interesting and scenic walk, and usually, you will have it to yourself.

Near the entrance, you can find the Interpretation Centre (formerly known as the Museo Militar), a small military museum.

 

VISIT

Winter (from November to March):
9 am to 6 pm.

Summer (from April to October):
9 am to 8 pm.

 

PRICE

Standard admission: €3.50

Combined visit Alcazaba – Gibralfaro Castle: €5.50

Sundays: Free from 14:00 h.

The 10 Best Halal Restaurant in Paris

The 10 Best Halal Restaurant in Paris

Looking for a good halal restaurant in Frankfurt?

Planning a trip to Paris? Wonder where to find Halal restaurants in Paris in between all that sightseeing? Cuisine from India to Japan, Kebabs, mezze, sushi, tandoori chicken and couscous.

Here a selection of the 10 best Halal Restaurants in Frankfurt.

Falafel 1818
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Pistazie
#3 of 21 Results
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Doy Doy Kebab Restaurant
N.º 10 de 21 resultados
Halal Restaurants in Spain

Halal Restaurants in Spain

Halal places in Spain

A list of restaurants with halal options in Spain

Andalucia  Includes Seville, Granada, Córdoba, Málaga
Aragon  Includes Zaragoza, Huesca
Asturias  Includes Oveido
Balearic Islands  Includes Palma de Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza
Canary Islands  Includes Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas
Cantabria  Includes Santander
Castile-La Mancha  Includes Toledo, Guadalajara
Castille and León  Includes León, Valladolid, Ávila, Zamora
Catalonia  Includes Barcelona, Girona
Ceuta and Melilla
Euskadi  Includes Bilbao, San Sebastián, Vitoria
Extremadura  Includes Mérida
Foral Community of Navarre  Includes Pamplona
Galicia
La Rioja  Includes Logroño
Madrid Metro  The Madrid metropolitan area
Murcia
Valencian Community  Includes Valencia, Alicante