Trevélez

Sierra Nevada (Spanish: [ˈsjera neˈβaða]; meaning "snow-covered mountain range") is a mountain range in the Andalusian province of Granada in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain: Mulhacén, at 3,479 metres (11,414 ft) above sea level. It is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts, in an area along the Mediterranean Sea predominantly known for its high temperatures and abundant sunshine. At its foothills is found the city of Granada, and a little further south, Almería and Motril. Parts of the range have been included in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The range has also been declared a biosphere reserve. The Sierra Nevada Observatory and the IRAM radiotelescope are located on the northern slopes at an elevation of 2,800 metres (9,200 ft).

Mulhacén ([mulaˈθen]), with an elevation of 3,482 metres (11,424 ft), is the highest mountain in peninsular Spain and in all of the Iberian Peninsula. It is part of the Sierra Nevada range in the Penibaetic System. It is named after Abu'l-Hasan Ali, known as Muley Hacén in Spanish, the penultimate Muslim ruler of Granada in the 15th century who, according to legend, was buried on the summit of the mountain. Mulhacén is the highest peak in Southern Europe outside of the Alps. It is also the third-most prominent peak in Western Europe, after Mont Blanc and Mount Etna, and is ranked 64th in the world by prominence. The peak is not exceptionally dramatic in terms of steepness or local relief. The south flank of the mountain is gentle and presents no technical challenge, as is the case for the long west ridge. The shorter, somewhat steeper northeast ridge is slightly more technical. The north face of the mountain is much steeper and offers several routes involving moderately steep climbing on snow and ice (up to French grade AD) in the winter.Mulhacén can be climbed in a single day from the villages of either Capileira or Trevélez, but it is more common to spend a night at the mountain refuge at Poqueira, or in the bare shelter at Caldera to the west. Those making the ascent from Trevélez can also bivouac at the tarns to the northeast of the peak.

Pórtugos is a municipality in the province of Granada, Spain. As of 2010, it has a population of 401 inhabitants.

Busquístar is a small community located in the province of Granada, Spain. It is located in a region called The Alpujarras. According to the 2013 census (INE), the city has a population of 265 inhabitants.

Alcazaba is a mountain in Spain. Standing at 3,369 m (11,053 ft), it is the third highest mountain of the Sierra Nevada range and the fifth in the Iberian Peninsula. The impressive north face can be seen from the town of Granada. The name Alcazaba derives from the word "fortification" in Arabic.

La Taha, is a municipality in the Alpujarras region of the province of Granada, Spain. The modern municipality consists of three distinct villages, though several of these are themselves clusters of distinct settlements. It lies to the east of the villages of the Río Poqueira gorge, and to the south and west of Trevélez. The villages are all on south-facing slopes overlooking the Río Trevélez. The villages of La Taha are: Pitres, with the smaller settlement of Capilerilla above it; this is the administrative centre, the largest of the three villages, and the only one on the through road Mecina Fondales, which comprises Mecina, Mecinilla, and Fondales Ferreirola, which is below the smaller village of AtalbéitarIn guidebooks and other sources, some other neighbouring villages are often included in La Taha, though they do not belong to the municipality. These include Pórtugos and Busquístar. The name La Taha comes from Arabic Tá, meaning "obedience". Under the Nasrid kings of Granada, the region was divided into a number of administrative districts called "tahas", each containing several settlements; for example, the villages of the Poquiera gorge formed "La Taha de Poqueira". Modern La Taha is the only one of these districts to have retained the name. There is a modest tourist trade in La Taha, though the villages do not attract the intense interest either of the Poqueira river villages or of Trevélez. Pitres has a market on Friday. The GR 7 long-distance footpath passes through the municipality. Atalbeitar is one of the best villages in which to learn about the original characteristics of the houses and streets of the Alpujarras, due to the lack of new buildings that other more touristic villages have been constructing.

The Alpujarra (Spanish pronunciation: [alpuˈxara], Arabic: al-bussarat) is a natural and historical region in Andalusia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is 1,200 metres (4,000 ft) above sea level. It extends over two provinces, Granada and Almería; it is sometimes referred to in the plural as "Las Alpujarras". There are several interpretations of this Arabic-origin name: the most convincing is that it derives from al-basharāt (البَشَرَات), meaning something like "sierra of pastures". The administrative centre of the part in Granada is Órgiva, while that of the part in Almería is Alhama de Almería. The Sierra Nevada runs west-to-east for about 80 km. It includes the highest mountain in mainland Spain: the Mulhacén at 3,479 metres (11,414 ft) The term sierra nevada implies the existence of a snow field, an accumulation of permanent snow and ice. However, in the Alpujarras most of the snow melts in the spring and summer, allowing the southern slopes of the Sierra to remain green and fertile throughout the year, despite the heat of the summer sun. Water emerges from innumerable springs; human intervention has channeled it to terraced plots and to the villages. Olives are grown on the lower slopes, and in the valley below which extends from Órgiva to Cadiar, through which flows the Guadalfeo river. The plentiful water, milder climate, and fertile land favour the cultivation of grapes, citrus, and other fruit. There is also a developing production of wine on the hills between this valley and the sea, and almond trees thrive on its southern slopes. The eastern end of the Alpujarra, towards Ugijar in the province of Almería, is much more arid.

Capileira is the highest and most northerly of the three villages in the gorge of the Poqueira river in the La Alpujarra district of the province of Granada, in Spain. It is located at latitude 36° 57' N and longitude 3° 21' W, about 1 km north of Bubión. Its altitude is officially recorded as 1436 metres, though there is a considerable altitude difference between the oldest part of the village, which is at the lower, southern end, and the highest part, where tourist-oriented development is currently concentrated. The area of the municipality is 57 km². Although the Sierra Nevada Highway runs through Capileira and out across the Sierra Nevada towards the city of Granada, motor traffic is no longer permitted to continue across the mountains; Capileira is therefore the highest village that public traffic can reach, although you can continue to a car park where the national park begins and the road is barred to normal traffic. The national park runs a limited bus service on the now-closed road (reservations handled by office in the village) in summer. A track leads northwards from the village to the abandoned settlement of La Cebadilla, built to house the workers who developed the hydro-electric installation at the upper end of the Poqueira Gorge. Capileira has developed a significant tourist trade, acting as a centre for walking and for accessing the mountains especially Mulhacén, generally treated as a two-day climb from Capileira with an overnight stop at a mountain refuge en route. A bus route connects the village to Granada (via Lanjarón and Órgiva) and Alcútar (via Trevélez and Juviles); as of 2011 there were 3 services per day in each direction. The village has good facilities for visitors including a number of restaurants, a market on Saturdays, hotels and apartment blocks, but retains a typical Alpujarran character especially away from the main road. Its population in 2005 was recorded as 582 people, of whom 35 did not have Spanish nationality, most of them being citizens of other European Union countries. The village has a primary school but no secondary school.

Bubión is a village in Las Alpujarras region of Granada in Spain. It is located at latitude 36° 57' N, longitude 3° 21' W, at 1,350 metres above sea level. Its postal code is 18412. Together with Capileira (to the north) and Pampaneira (to the south) it has become a focus for the tourist trade in La Alpujarra, because of the spectacular location of the three villages on the gorge of the Río Poqueira and below the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The three villages, with their characteristic Moorish features - narrow, winding streets, flat roofs - have been designated as a Conjunto Histórico Artístico, a region of special artistic and historical importance. Bubión is thought to have been founded in Roman times, and in any case it certainly antedates the Moorish invasion of the 7th century. Under the Moors, it was under the authority of Ugíjar. In the 16th century, after the fall of Granada to the "Catholic Monarchs", the village participated in the rebellions by the Moors (or "Moriscos" - Moors supposed to have been converted to Christianity). In the second rebellion, which started in December 1568, Bubión was one of the first villages of the Alpujarra to fall to the Catholic forces, after a major battle in the Poqueira valley. Following their defeat in 1571, almost all Moriscos were expelled from the province of Granada. They were partially replaced by Christian settlers from other parts of Spain. In the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, Bubión and the other two villages of the Poqueira valley remained under Nationalist control, although Republican forces held the surrounding heights. The most prominent building is the village church, built in the 16th century and remodelled in the following century. It is a simple structure in the mudéjar style. In the census of 2001 Bubión's population was given as 610, consisting of 357 "residents" and 253 "non-residents" (i.e. with a home elsewhere). A substantial number of both categories did not hold Spanish nationality, the majority of them coming from other states of the European Union. The village had 170 tourist beds. The GR 7/E4 European long-distance footpath runs through Bubión. In addition a network of walking trails link the three white villages and the Poqueira Gorge, ascending into the Sierra Nevada and providing an approach to Mulhacén, the highest peak in continental Spain. Bubión is served by a bus route from the city of Granada through Órgiva, continuing up the Poqueira valley to Capileira; then on through Trevelez and some further villages. There are three buses a day in each direction by Alsina Graells plus an extra bus to Orgiva on market Thursday at 9 am. A limited service is available from Motril to Orgiva.

Pampaneira is a village located in the province of Granada, Spain. According to the 2005 census (INE), the village has a population of 355 inhabitants. It is one of three mountain villages of the Barranco de Poqueira in the Alpujarras region. The other two villages, Bubión and Capileira, are located higher in the Poqueira gorge. The Poqueira gorge starts below the mountain peak of Mulhacén, where the river Poqueira rises. There are many opportunities for hiking in the area. Guided walks are arranged by the local tourist offices which also sell mountain hiking equipment. Other companies can plan self-guided treks through the area. The nearest major town is Órgiva. One of the highest all year-round lived-in mountain village in Spain, Trevélez is located nearby in the mountains to the east of the three villages. Accommodation is available in all of the three villages but Capileira has the biggest range of facilities. At the north side opens the Sierra Nevada (Spain) range with one of the highest peaks in Spain ; Mulhacén and Alcazaba (Sierra Nevada). The village is located at about 1060 metres above sea level. There are many craft shops selling ceramics, leather and clothes. Also on offer are the locally produced specialities of cheese and ham. During the winter the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra mountains get covered in snow but the villages are rarely affected by snow for more than a few days a time. There are bus connections running every day from the town of Granada, Spain.

Veleta (from the Arab word "Balata", meaning cliff) or Pico del Veleta is the third highest peak of the Iberian peninsula and the second highest of the Sierra Nevada. Its height is given variously as 3,394 metres (11,135 ft), 3,396 metres (11,142 ft) and 3,398 metres (11,148 ft).The mountain can be seen from the city of Granada. Veleta's northern slopes are home to the Sierra Nevada Ski Station. The access road that takes one to approximately 10 metres below the summit is the highest paved road in Europe across the mountains from Granada to the western Alpujarras. This road was built before the creation of the Sierra Nevada National Park in 1999. It has since been closed to general traffic beyond Hoya de la Mora, just above the ski station. However, the road is still used by ski station employees, national park rangers, observatory staff, cyclists and walkers, and a microbus service also takes hikers up to Posiciones del Veleta, a viewpoint 3,100 metres above sea level. In summer it is a relatively easy walk up to the summit from there. The Corral de la Veleta or Corral del Veleta glacier, at 37° N the southernmost glacier in Europe, disappeared in 1913.The IRAM 30m telescope is located on the slopes of Pico Veleta, at an elevation of 2920 m.

Torvizcón is a municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain. According to the 2005 census (INE), the village has a population of 795 inhabitants.