Tag Archives: Albuñuelas

Magnificent views of the Sierra Nevada

The day started out with a bit of a drizzle but as always the temperature was ideal for walking. As I was moving silently through pine forest country I had many panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada coming into sight every now and then.

Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada

Moving down to Albuñuelas through a beautiful ravine speckled with orange groves.

Orange grove
Orange grove

The guide-book suggested La Casa Azul, a B&B in the center of the village, but there was no answer when I knocked at the door so I went on and followed a sign to El Cortijo del Pino that is a small casa rural. The owners, an English couple in their seventies, had just arrived from having been to England for a while. I was given a charming room with a beautiful view overlooking the village.

Albuñuelas
Albuñuelas

The only thing remaining that day, after having had a shower and having made preparations for the next day, was to wait – wait until eight thirty before I could get a hot meal. I am not much for eating during the day while walking so you can probably imagine that I am starved at the end of the day and that the late dinner customs that the Spaniards have sometimes make me frustrated.

High as a kite…

This was another brilliant day, hot but not humid, and like the days before it offered many panoramic views – views overlooking the Sierra Nevada in the north but also fabulous views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the south. It is said that when the air is really clear you can see Africa from the edge of the mountain.

Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada

But that day also contained exciting passages up and down the edges of a wide valley and I ended up for the night in the village of Lanjarón.

Lanjaron
Lanjaron

Lanjarón is situated in the western extreme of an area called the Alpujarras. This area is famous for its beautiful and dramatic nature with high mountains, mighty pine forests, and deep valleys, speckled with white villages.

Lanjaron
Lanjaron

Lanjarón is a bit different from a normal Andalusian village in that it has a relatively open village plan with wider streets in average than other villages I have visited. Another impressive thing is that Lanjarón must have at least ten hotels and with a population of 4000 that tells me that it must attract many tourists. One explanation is probably that it is a spa town and another that its surroundings offer excellent hiking, mountain biking, and climbing. Lanjarón is also famous for its bottled spring water that can be bought all over Spain.