Alhambra alternative?

When you travel up to the Alhambra on the road to the car park, take the first turning to the right and drive through the top car park - travel through to the last roundabout and take a right turn up the road that goes past the cemetary.
This road leads up into a country park area above the Alhambra. There are walking trails and picnic areas, and lots of views to the Sierra Nevada and down to the barranco that goes up behind SacraMonte. The road is tarmac in places, occasionally concrete of just a rough trail - but easy to access in any vehicle.

Drive up Guindelera

Take a drive high above Lentegi with views across to the Sierra Nevada and down to the sea.
From the Cabra Montes road beyond Otivar take a right hand turn to Lentegi. Dont go right into the village but take the road (tarmac still) on the right signposted for the Polideportivo. Just befor entering the village you will see a signposted turn on the right. This track (no tarmac from now on) will lead you up to the "puerto", a point where the tracks lead on up towards Guindelera and on to the Guajarés (villages in the next valley) or to Albunuelas.
As there had been snow we were advised not to travel on beyond this point. In a 4 wheel drive or in drier months this would be a fantastic drive across the mountain tops. You could walk all the way if you have time and stamina. There are walking maps on the roadsides.

Eastern Coastal walks:Velilla to Curumbico

It is possible to walk all the way to Salobrena from Almunecar along the coast, but in parts you will need to go inland to cross the barrancos. This walk is written in two parts:

Part 1: Velilla to Cabria and Curumbico beaches
A linear walk along beaches and cliffs ending in a pretty cove.


Distance 2.5 kilometers one way
Time 3 hours in total
Difficulty
Not very difficult, but there are two steep ascents and one steep path down towards Cabria
Time of year All year
Notes
The pathway is narrow and stony in parts, so strong shoes or walking boots are advisable. Walking sticks might be necessary. Not good after rains as the paths will be slippery. Excellent possibilities for drinks, tapas or lunch at a variety of chiringuitos along the way.

The walk in brief
A seaside walk leaving the built-up resort of Velilla and following the cliffs to visit several different bays, ending at the peaceful cove of Curumbico where the sand is black and the stones are white.

To reach the start
This walk can start at any point on the coast outside Almunecar, and you can even walk from the town centre, but taking the local bus to Taramay will make the walk shorter.

The route
Start the walk by going into the pretty cove called Tesorillo (where there are two beach restaurants). Follow the path to the left, eastwards along the edge of the cliff where there is a stone watch tower – Torre de Galera – now a private house. The path takes you across rocks in front of the tower, and leads you to the next bay, Pozuelo, where there are more beach bars, a park and hotels. Follow the beach along towards the apartments at the far end. Go into the sports area and climb up beside the changing rooms on the right. Turn right at the BMX bike park and follow the broad pathway up the hillside, across the mirador at the top and down to the beach.This is Playa Calabajio.
The path now goes up the cliff on the sea side of the Playa Calida Hotel. It is a good path which joins the service road for the hotel at the top. A track goes off this road to the right and descends steeply to Cabria beach – but is slippery at some times of the year and you may prefer to go down the road at the side of the hotel and then turn right back down the barranco to the beach. This route is longer but much easier underfoot.
At Cabria you can walk along the beach to the end where there is a good walkway giving easy access to the Curumbico beach.
From this beach you can continue a walk on towards Salobrena (see Part 2). It is possible to climb along the rocks when the sea is calm to go to the next cove but this is a tricky route and not recommended for the unfit or unconfident amongst us – however there are some spectacular rock formations to be seen there.
You can take the pathway up behind the beach (steep steps) and reach a track that goes between houses and eventually takes you up almost to the main road. Here you cn visit the Torre del Diablo on the headland.

Walking into history

Walking in the area has not been mapped in the way you might be accustomed to. Sometimes maps are unhelpful (like the ones at the start of senderos that don´t tell you where you are, or don't have a key to help identify features like rivers and roads!)...sometimes paths have become overgrown, or turned into wide tracks by bulldozer. But ancient mule and donkey tracks still exist and provide wonderful wild walking routes for all abilities. In UK walking routes can be heavily populated and there is always someone to ask. Here in Spain the routes are empty and its rare to meet other walkers.The best way to locate the a route is to look for paths, guess their destination and walk them to check. Take care and be patient, eventually routes will join up and provide excellent walks that you can share with others.
At one time the mountain ranges (or sierras) were crisscrossed with mule trails connecting farms and villages. Traces of farming can be seen around ruined farm houses (fincas). Watch out for terraces and signs such as almond, fig and poplar trees. No-one knows how old some of these tracks are, but the existence of roman bridges can give you a clue. All over Andalucia you can see signposted (often at the edge of a road) a "Camino del Rey". These are ancient protected routes used by shepherds to move sheep and goats around the coutryside. These routes were probably used by the Moors for centuries. Inland they cross mountain ranges, passing ruined "ventas" or inns which gave hospitality to travellers. They were busy highways before the advent of motorised transport. Many old mule tracks fell into disuse in the Civil War. This area was part of a frontier in the war and the hills were dangerous and inhospitable during those years.
You don't need to be an experienced hill walker to get something of interest on a walk or stroll in the valleys and hills outside Almuñecar; just get off the road and see what is there!

Rio de Miel

A drive into the mountains behind Nerja. An easy drive with stupendous views at the top to the east, towards Peña Escrita and the Motril coast.
Take the N340 along the coast to the turning (see map) that takes you under the new motorway.
Drive all the way up, taking the left fork a the only place where there is a choice of route.
Click here for Google map.

MAPS can now be added to all walks or drives

Google maps will be added to all the existing walks here. Just give me time!
Its easy to add the maps, but you will need to set up a Google account of your own. The maps can be viewed as aerial satellite, or terrain, or just road maps. You can even ask for directions from where you live to the start point.

Pico de Lopera

A walk that takes you on an accessible track up to one of the highest points in the Sierra de Almijara – the Pico de Lopera at 1485 meters above sea level -, where your efforts are rewarded by spectacular views across the mountains to the coast and to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Distance:2.5 kilometers to the peak, 5 kilometers in total.

Time:1 hour 20 minutes to reach peak, 2 and a half hours in total

Difficulty:The track is wide, easy to follow and well signposted. The gradients are gradual, and although the approach seems steep when you view it from a distance, the ascent is gradual and it is possible for even the least fit walker as long as you take your time and rest frequently.

Time of year:All year, especially beautiful in spring. At this altitude it can be extremely cold in winter. Never walk here without carrying protective and warm clothing. Snow is not uncommon in January or February at this level.

Notes
At this altitude, the peaks are often obscured by cloud and it is possible to take this walk and not be able to see the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you arrive at the start to find the area obscured by cloud it would be advisable to postpone the walk until it clears or return on another occasion. If cloud descends whilst walking the path is clear enough to find your way back, but take extra care! Avoid walking in wet or cloudy conditions. The walk in brief
From the Cabra Montes road 31 kilometers from the coast, where you are already at 1300 meters above sea level, the track follows the contours of the mountains, taking a gentler approach rather than a steep climb that takes you up approx. 200 meters to the peak where the views of the surrounding National park are unparalleled.

To reach the startr
From Almunecar take the Cabra Montes road in the direction of Jete and Otivar. At 30 kilometers beyond Almunecar you pass through the small rock tunnel. Just beyond the marker for Kilometer 28, on the left hand side of the road you will see a board describing the walk and a place to pull off and park opposite this sign on the right hand side of the road. Park here and cross the road where you will see a marker post with an arrow denoting the start of the walk.

The route
The path is well signposted (with one exception!) Initially it follows the course of the fire break from the road side (left hand side of the road from the coast in the direction of Granada). The path curves left towards a ridge with pine trees that are clearly visible. Quite soon the sea comes into view in the direction of La Herradura. As you turn inland towards a ridge of pine trees our destination comes into view, seemingly miles ahead! You can see a tiny building at the top of a peak in the far distance. This is the Pico de Lopera fire watching post.As you follow the trail past the line of pine trees, you pass along a ridge with steep cliffs to the left and the meadows and woods of the Prado de Lopera on your right. Now the climb starts, gently at first, then steeper. To reward your efforts keep a look out to the right and the Sierra Nevada mountain range comes into view, snow capped from November to April. When the path divides, take the clearly signposted left route. (The trail on the right goes down to the Prado de Lopera and can form an alternative route back).This is the territory of the Cabra Montes – mountain goats - and they can often be spotted grazing in this area.At 30 minutes into the walk the path levels off and there is plenty of shade to enjoy, and a chance to rest before the next climb. After an hour you are walking upwards and southwards. At this point the path curves right. When you meet a T junction with another trail you turn left to complete the climb. At this point you can see westwards into the Almijara valley towards Jayena and Alhama de Granada. You should be able to see the Bermejales reservoir. The last part of the climb takes you swiftly up to the summit at 1485 meters above sea level, where there is a former fire watching hut. Just beyond the hut and behind a fence the cliff falls away dramatically reveals views of the whole of the Sierra de la Almijara below and the coast beyond. The return trip is simply a matter of retracing your steps but it’s easy to miss a vital right hand turn which is unsignposted! The path down from the peak crosses a fire break which is visible on the left after about 5 minutes walk from the top. Our path goes off on the right, opposite a sign for the Parque Natural and beside a young pine tree. The path that goes straight on is deceptively easy to take but it descends westwards and will take you far out of your way! Once you have found this turning it is simple to retrace your steps back to the car park.