La Taha

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The Trevélez River is a river in the province of Granada, Spain. It flows through the town of Trevélez in the western part of the Alpujarras region. The Trevélez river rises in the Sierra Nevada to the north of the town, and flows south and west from Trevélez, through a narrow gorge to the south of Busquístar and the La Tahá villages, eventually converging with the Rio Poqueira shortly before flowing into the Río Guadalfeo.

Trevélez is a village in the province of Granada, Spain. Its population in 2011 was estimated at 823. The river Trevélez flows through the village. They are located in the western part of the Alpujarras region. Two of the highest mountains in Spain, Mulhacén and Alcazaba, are just to the north of the village, a few hours' walk away. Located at a height of 1486 metres, Trevélez is not the highest recognised municipality in Spain. That honour goes to Valdelinares located in the Sierra de Gúdar range of the Sistema Ibérico, in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. It lies at the confluence of the Río Trevélez with a smaller stream, to the southwest of Mulhacén, the highest peak of the Sierra Nevada and of the Iberian peninsula. The village lies to the west of the Río Trevélez. It is divided into three parts, the Barrios Bajo, Medio and Alto (lower, mid and upper quarters), with 200 metres of altitude difference between the highest and lowest points. The only bridge over the river is in the Barrio Bajo. The Barrio Bajo is a significant tourist centre, while the Barrios Medio and Alto are more typically Alpujarran in style, though tourism is important to the economy of the entire village. To the west, the nearest village is Busquístar; the road through the Bajo Barrio continues to the east and south to Juviles and Torvizcón. There is a regular bus service along this road, linking the village to the regional centres of Lanjarón and Órgiva as well as the provincial capital, Granada. Trevélez is famous for the quality of its air-cured hams, a speciality throughout the Alpujarras but particularly associated with the village, because the dry climate due to its altitude makes for ideal conditions for storing them. Trevélez celebrates the day of the Virgen de Las Nieves (Virgin of the Snows - see article in external links) in the summer months. On this day the virgin is carried to the summit of Mulhacén and a mass is celebrated. The traditional belief is that this will keep travellers safe in the Sierra Nevada for another year.

Soportújar is a municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain. According to the 2015 census (INE), the city has a population of 296 inhabitants.

Carataunas is a municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain. According to the 2005 census (INE), it has a population of 198 inhabitants.

Cáñar is a small village in the Alpujarras comarca of the province of Granada in Spain. It is located a few kilometres north of the road from Órgiva to Pampaneira and the high Alpujarras. The GR 7 long-distance footpath, following the ancient highway through the Alpujarras, runs through the village. The area of the municipality is 26 km²., and it is located at a height of 1014 metres above sea level. Its population in 2005 was estimated as 366 people, of whom 69 were not Spanish citizens, most of these being citizens of other European Union countries. The village has few facilities for tourists other than a handful of bars, and is of a very traditional Alpujarran character, with animal stabling integrated into houses that open onto the main street and square. The villagers are extremely welcoming and celebrate all the major festivals enthusiastically. The "patrona" of the village is Santa Ana and the associated fiesta takes place on and around 26 July each year. Cáñar has several accommodation options ranging from small apartments to let in the village, cortijos further up into the sierra and the acclaimed "El Cielo de Canar" boutique hotel is situated just 2 km outside the village. Between Cáñar and the neighbouring village to the east, Soportújar, lies a remarkable dam across the deep gorge of the Chico river. This is known as "Dique 24" and was built in 1942 to control the destructive flash floods that the Rio Chico sometimes unleashes. The GR7 footpath crosses the stream just above the dam.