Las Alpujarras is a stretch of valleys and deep gorges on the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada, stretching over two provinces; Granada and Almeria. Its terraced farmlands are constantly watered by the melting snow from above, constituting a high-altitude oasis of greenery which stands in dramatic contrast to the arid foothills below.
Picturesque white villages cling to the flourishing hillsides, their Berber-style flat-roofed houses recalling the area’s past as a refuge for Moors escaping the Christian conquest of Granada. The villages host a mixed population of locals and expats, and footpaths criss-cross the hills, linking the villages and offering superlative hiking.
Soon after the Castillians took Granada in 1492, Moors were forced to convert to Christianity. Those who refused took to the hills, settling in this remote, inaccessible area. Constant pressure from the Christians led to a bloody uprising, the Morisco Rebellion of 1568.
Soon followed a royal decree expelling all of those of Arab descent from the Kingdom of Granada, since the "new Christians", as the converts were called, were all suspected of being "crypto-Muslims" in secret.
The Alpujarra villages were resettled with some 12,000 Christian families brought by King Philip II from Galicia and Asturias in north-western Spain. However, the unique hamlets have retained the traditional Berber architecture of terraced white box-shaped houses with flat clay roofs, which is still very much seen in the Rif and Atlas mountains of Morocco.
Traditional dishes in Las Alpujarras are laced with traces of the area’s Moorish history, featuring ingredients such as mature figs and berries, chestnuts, olives and almonds, especially as far as sweets are concerned. Marzipan is very popular, but almonds are also widely used to elaborate savory dishes such as soups, or made into a sauce to serve with chicken. Throughout the villages of the Alpujarras, you will see strings of red peppers hanging from balconies and windows. Once sun dried, the peppers are used is all sorts of dishes from the region.
Órgiva is the largest town of the Alpujarras, equipped with a big name supermarket, butcher, bakers and smaller shops selling local fruit and vegetables. There are also banks and other services such as mechanics, carpenters, school and health center, which is easily accessible on the outskirts of the town. There are also a variety of bars and restaurants for al-fresco dining, offering either local cuisine or something a bit different.
The bus station offers good services to the surrounding villages, as well as to the city of Granada and the beaches of Costa Tropical. Both the airports of Almería and Malaga are easily accessed approximately 2 hours drive.
Órgiva has a somewhat bohemian atmosphere since it also attracts those seeking an alternative lifestyle. There is a well-established settlement of tee-pees on the outskirts of the town and at the town's weekly market, there is a whole variety of New Age goods on sale.
Órigva is surrounded by kilometer long olive, orange and lemon groves. The sheep shearer and travel writer, Chris Stewart, who is the author of Driving Over Lemons and a local to the area, has done much for the local tourist industry and for attracting more northern Europeans - mostly from Great Britain - to settle in the area, thanks to his books.
The town is easily recognizable for its' sixteenth century church which has a very unusual and impressive pair of twin towers that can be seen from various points of the town.
Simply take a seat outside any one of the cafe/bars which spill onto the pavements of the main street for a coffee and 'tostada', the all time favourite breakfast of locals consisting of toast with olive oil, tomato and a pinch of salt. This is the best spot for simply watching the world go by.
This town is famous for its mineral water which is sold throughout Spain, while its spa waters have been celebrated for centuries for their curative properties and are considered to be some of the best in the country. Try them for yourself at the town′s 'Balneario', thermal baths, where you can indulge in a whole range of treatments from March to December. Due to the medicinal purposes of the water, the baths are popular with elderly visitors who come from all over Spain.
Another of the very well known sources of Spain´s mouth-watering cured ham, jamón serrano. Trevélez is the highest in mainland Spain, at 1,476m, boasting ideal conditions for drying the sweet-tasting ham.
You are bound to see rows of cured hams hanging from the ceiling of most bars, also a vital ingredient to many of their local dishes.
The town also acts as a base with a well-trodden track leading from the village to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It is the starting point for trips to Las Siete Lagunas, seven impressive glacial lakes set in the mountains.
Cádiar preserves its Moorish feel, consisting of three neighbourhoods, Cádiar, Narila and Yátor. The area is home to the Valle de Sensaciones (a nature project) and many geological formations such as gullies and watercourses.
Beyond Cádiar, as one travels further east of the Alpujarras, there is a sense of complete peace as the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada are even closer. If you visit during the month of February, the almond blossom in full bloom is sure to take your breath away, in a panoramic haven where blossom meets sapphire blue skies. Working oxen and mules are regular sights, along with the occasional goat herder, and you’ll share the tarmac with few other road users.
The British writer, Gerald Brenan, found the peace and silence he was looking for in the Alpujarras at the end of the First World War. Brenan travelled the Alpujarras on foot or by donkey, until settling in Yegen, where he felt at home and fell in love with the way of living, according to one of his famous books, 'Al Sur de Granada'. He was fascinated by the simplicity of its people, their language, customs and loving rites. Brenan described the daily life of the people with a story full of poetry and beauty. His house is a place of pilgrimage, still beautifully preserved, and currently a Museum with a plaque dedicated to the writer.
Ugíjar was once described by the Granada poet, Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, as aristocratic. It consists of five areas in total, known as, Cherín, Jorairátar, Los Montoros, Las Canteras and Ugíjar itself. Cherín and Ugíjar are surrounded by olive groves, whereas Las Canteras, Los Montoros and Jorairátar are located in an almost desert-like landscape further south.
Like many other villages in the Alpujarras, traditional crafts such as carpets and tapestries can be found in Ugíjar. The town is the focal point for the eastern part of the Alpujarras, with many of the vital amenities such as banks, shops, supermarkets, restaurants and bars.
Considered to be the "Balcony of the Alpujarras", since spectacular and privileged views can be enjoyed from the town´s chapel, looking over the Ugíjar valley, the summit of Cerrajón de Murtas and Almeria's Sierra de Gádor. Within the surroundings is the legendary, Rock of San Marcos, a rock that was formerly attributed to beneficial powers over crops.
Still very much in keeping with traditional way of life, there is a bread van that delivers fresh bread to the town every morning.
Pampaneira is one of three towns that make up the Barranco de Poqueira, one of the most visited natural spots in the province of Granada. It has some extraordinary architecture, typical of Alpujarras, with its white houses, flat roofs, Moorish chimneys and tinaos. It is probably most well known for its vibrant and flourishing artisan tradition producing crafts such as, ceramics, textiles and rugs. Legend has it, that if you are single and drink from the fountain, Fuente de San Antonio, the miraculous waters will bring you a partner!
Bubión is a real heaven for those who are attracted by anything related to history, and in fact, here you can find traces of the past Roman and Moorish civilizations. It is another town of the Barranco de Poqueira.
The highest point of the Barranco de Poqueira, inevitably providing some breathtaking views thanks to the many viewpoints disseminated all over the town.
Lookout for the Museum Pedro Antonio Alarcón, on Calle Mentidero, which has exhibits of local handicrafts, dress and a display on the nineteenth-century writer Alarcón, from Guadix, who published an account of the Alpujarras, Viaje a la Alpujarra.
Due to its location, a bus service connects the town with Mt Mulhacén, the highest mountain in continental Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, standing at 11,413 ft.
A group of local women decorate the town for the fiestas with recycled plastic, a new art form called Eco Decora.
The area of La Tahá is made up of one town and six villages: Pitres, Capilerilla, Mecina, Mecinilla, Fondales, Ferreirola and Atalbéitar.
The capital of the La Tahá area, famous for their handmade tiles with various ceramic and fired clay workshops, as well as master luthiers (maker of stringed instruments) who still make guitars, mandolins, double bass and lutes by hand using traditional methods.
Feria de Artesanía, Pampaneira
The crafts festival is the oldest in the Alpujarras, also showcasing agricultural products from the area.
Cat Jary, an English classical musician and teacher founded the Alexander School of Music in Ferreirola and worked hard to create the Music in the Mountains festival, managing to persuade musicians from many parts of the world to perform in the open air at various places in La Taha using eras (threshing circles), fields and other open spaces as their venues. Cat died in 2016 but her work is being carried on by the Asociación Cultural Música en las Montañas.
Fiesta de Agua, Lanjarón
Every year on the day of San Juan (23 June), the streets of Lanjarón are filled with water and joy, as the town celebrates the Festival of Water. Everybody, from locals to outside visitors, take part in the huge water fight consisting of water balloons, hoses, water bottles and even water guns, with the sole aim of soaking everybody in sight.
New Years Eve in August, Bérchules
Very unusually, New Years Eve has been celebrated in this town during the first weekend of August since 1994, although still following the Spanish tradition of eating the 12 grapes.
It started with an electrical blackout on December 31, 1994 that left the entire town unable to celebrate the entry into the new year. A tradition that has continued to take place year after year.
Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos - Válor, Trevélez and Laroles
A colorful and animated reenactment of the battles between the Moors and Christians, celebrated in 3 of the villages in the Alpujarras, throughout the month of September. One of which is the oldest and most famous in the country.
Festival Fuente del Vino, Cádiar
At the beginning of October, this unique festival is celebrated with a fountain that spills out red wine continuously. Years ago, all the village fountains were filled with liters of wine and were kept full throughout the festivities, however, today special pumps have been installed for continual flow.
The Alpujarras can be said to boast around 70 distinct nationalities, especially in the largest town of Órgiva, among its 6,000 inhabitants. There has actually been a 50 percent drop in its population since the 1960s.
The whole feel of the region is distinctly rough and ready, unpolished and parochial, and with none of the pretensions you find on the coast.
Ultimately it is a magical place full of contrasts; lush greenery next to arid landscapes, although one of the driest places in Spain, it is famous for its water. It is a timeless zone, yet modern in thinking, and it offers the ‘real’ Spain, attracting interesting people from all around the world.
A colorful region of legends (and perhaps even more colorful people), it is one of the driest spots in Spain, although its terraced farmlands are well watered by melting snow carefully channeled into water courses from the mountains.
The Alpujarras is known for its tropical climate; varied and diverse. At higher elevations, such as Trevélez, the winters are cooler, while here the summers are usually warm but with mild temperatures. In the lower Alpujarra, in the area closer to the Costa Tropical, the climate is more Mediterranean. With mild temperatures throughout the year, and rainfall typically only at the end of the year the Alpujarras is an inviting place to live.
© 2026 Another Way Of Life
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