Outdoor Activities in Andalucia, Spain

Capileira - Valle de Toril

2012-05-19T14:12:00.002+02:00

Another variation in Poqueira Valley above Capileira is the Valle de Toril circular route. With 16 KM length and a duration of 5-6 hours the perfect option if you bring enough time and do feel like more action then the usual Cebadilla circular which will be only 7-8 KM. If you are looking for a seclude trail off the beaten track this may be for you as the Valle de Toril is on of the quietest trail you will encounter on this side of the Sierra Nevada.

Once you have reached the highest point, follow the water channel all the way to its end and return on the other side of the hill. Since you follow the water flowing downwards you are basically walking on even level the perfect walk with great view and guaranteed animal encounters as usually very few people walk here. If you are attentive and quite you could encounter wild boars, foxes and the very rare genet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genet_(animal)). Especially in April with lots of snow left the chances are very high.

The trail is rather easy to walk. There are some heavy landslides on one side of the hill and passing while in midst of rain can be very dangerous. If you are walking during winter time bring good and waterproof shoes - everything is going to be wet. A good tip is to carry waterproof socks since having solid heavy boots can be a load to. Just remember temperatures in Spring can differ from 25 degrees in altitudes of 1000 M and 5 degrees above 2000 M. Once the sun goes and it gets foggy the mountains here can become a nightmare.

Enjoy!

Capileira - Valle de Toril

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Puente Palo - Sorportujar - Capileira

2012-05-07T16:15:00.002+02:00

This is the perfect Alpujarra round trip for everyone with a little more time then just the usual "Three Pueblos" trip in the Poqueira Valley, namely the "Cebadilla" route in Capileira. Instead of "only" walking alongside the Poqueira River this trip will first bring you to Rio Chico River - both of these Valles high up there in top "must-see" list of the Sierra Nevada area.

The trip with good 25 KM is perfect in spring and late summer as in peak summer season it will be too hot to walk as so many others here in southern spain.

You need a car for this trip because the entry point is way above Orgiva. In fact it takes a good 30 mins. from the road to Capileira to the Puente Palo. The road is almost all the time accesible. You should consider tough that for its most parts its a dirt track with sometimes heavy potholes. If you are not moving around in a lowered sports cars you should be ok - or as long you have 30-40 cm play and are adventures all is good. I have seen people driving Opel Corsas up the same road.

The first part of the route will take you along the Rio Chico Valley with its pristine pine forests and unspoiled nature until you meet the GR-7 route at the large dam you see on one of the photos. It seems that the dam was constructed to catch the debris/rocks so that the river will not become a wild ravine ragging through Orgiva or if its use was to be a water reservoir once.

From there its just a small jump to Soportujar following from here on the GR-7 long distance path all the way to Pampaneira. From Pampaneira up the Pocqueira until you meet the "official" path leading you to Puente Palo. There are at least 2 shortcuts to meet the same path going up straight from Pampaneira in direction of the Oseling Buddhist Monastery and if you are lucky you will make it less time then the official route. There are no signs - just your nose.

Once you reached the highest point of the trip above the Monastery we are back again on the most beautiful part of the track following the Acequia de Almira leading to Puente Palo (see http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=878233 for more pictures)

Good trip!

NOTE: if you turn off to drive up to Puento Palo on the road to Capileira and you see big yellow signs saying the road is closed or inaccessible you have three options:

1) Think un-spanish and make another trip somewhere else 2) Think spanish and ignore all signs 3) Think german and ignore all signs to go as far as you can and connect with the route from somewhere else

The part from Pampaneira up to the crossing to Puente Palo is/can be tricky because there have been a) landslides b) there are many small paths/tracks from sheeps/goats you may go astray. Just remember what ever goes down to the river will not bring you up again as there is no path in the bottom of the Poqueira Valley. If you are not sure where to go - Look for the path with the most foot prints.

Photos: here

Puente Palo - Sorportujar - Capileira

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Cabo de Gata - Agua Amarga to San Pedro

2012-03-02T21:42:00.000+01:00

A must see must do day trip for everybody traveling in northern Andalucia is the Cabo de Gata Nature Reserve Park.

Not all of Cabo de Gata is under the national park and it could be well said that the part under protection is the most beautiful and unspoiled part. The nature park spans a approximate 45 KM distance walkable from Agua Amarga up to the "Torre de los Lobos" to the south of Las Negras. All of it is fairly easy to walk. A must, a must do because you will see the most beautiful beaches along the Andalusian cost line since some of them are not accesible by car.

Walking through the desert like landscape is a real treat and you will find some very interesting fauna and flora. The water around the nature park is also a marine reserve so if you are lucky you will also see normally unseen creatures in the sea. The views are stunning in every direction - inlands into Europe's one an only desert the Tabernas and its offshoots and of course the blue and endless bathtub like Mediterranean waters. Especially a treat in early morning and when the sun goes down.

This trip is a relaxing day trip with plenty of time to dip in the pool. You can walk the way until San Pedro and return the same way. There is no other way back! Or you could pitch a tent in San Pedro and walk the rest the next day. It is not that easy with public transportation - especially in off season. There is a bus from Las negras but on weekends connections are very limited if at all. The best thing is really to just walk, take a backup tent and see where the wind carries you. The path are all good and walkable and can be even walked at night. It its recommended not to walk in summer because its too hot and there is only water in a few places. As in the Sierra Nevada National Park it is also allowed to pitch a tent for a night if i doesnt look like you are going to stay there for long.

Choosing San Pedro as the destination or even staying there, can be very interesting provided you are open for alternative ways of living. San Pedro being a Hippie retreat since many many decades has a unique charm of its own. And a lot of the houses, paths, fields and gardens are being taken care of with much love and patience if you consider everything is brought by boat only. According to hearsay the people of San Pedro had their hands in the game when the natural park was founded and boundaries were set.

We are all very thankful that these place still exist on the spanish coast. Enjoy the trip.

Photos can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/105726765340731413642/CaboDeGata1

Cabo de Gata 1 - Agua Amarga to San Pedro

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Backdoor El Condor - Tabernas Almeria

2012-02-27T20:22:00.001+01:00

While driving the A92 from Granada to Almeria/Murcia, some 20 KM before Almeria lays the Tabernas - Europe's one and only recognized desert. With a dimension of 288 square kilometers it spans all the way to the Mediterranean sea, giving parts of the nearby Cabo de Gata Nature Reserve a unique landscape no where else to be found in Europe. Being Europe's only Desert a whole lot of Films have been shot in the unique setup of the Tabernas. From Lawrence of Arabia to The good, the bad and the ugly to name just a few.

Today there a 3 wild western theme parks/towns left. You can find a real western fort, shows, zoos, saloons and what not. But ... there is also one western town which has been abandoned many years ago to decay in the reckless temperatures of the Tabernas. The oldest one "el condor" is accessible back doors when taking the exit to all the western towns and then off to "Western Leone" or "Mini Hollywood. Just half a kilometer after the entrance to "Western Leone" you can park you car and walk down into the Arroyo to find the old town. Its a 1-2 hours walk - just be careful with snakes, take enough water and remember you are not supposed to go there :)

Deepmining in Orgiva

2012-02-27T12:27:00.004+01:00

Its 2012 and time for new adventures.

One thing i dont not encourage people to do but nevertheless wanted to share are the mines de carriles of Orgiva. I posted a trip last year (see here) which is a trip in the Sierra de Lujar around the area of the mines. Being one of the biggest and oldest mines in spain i wanted to share some photo impression from inside. the mines are supposed be a system of almost 700KM! The whole mountain is like a swiss cheese. The mines were operated more then thousand of years and in the were shut down only in the 70ties. The walk in/outside the mines is adventure pure because of all the remains, hidden entries, spectacular views and curiosities to be found around the mountain.

I DONT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO INSIDE!!!

If you are experienced enough and have considered all appropriate security measures a stop over when going or leaving from Orgiva is worthwhile a stop.

Pradollano - Veleta - Mulhacen - Trevelez (one-way)

2011-10-01T20:07:00.006+02:00

Another one-way route starting from Pradollano, Granadas ski resort in the sierra nevada. This route is perfect for all of who want to see it all, who bring enough time and energy, but rely completly on public transport.

The trail takes you all the way to Trevelez on the other side of the mountains. You will climb Spains 2nd and 3rd highest mountains, the Veleta and Mulhacen, pass the beautiful valley of the Siete Lagunas to walk all the way down to the famous Pueblo of Trevelez, in a almost 26 KM high altitude walk with more then 2.4 KM altitude difference.

Stunning views, tamed mountain goats, crystal clear water, rocks over rocks is what you will get for the 2.4 KM and soar feet!

You start from Granada bus terminal taking the bus to Pradollano. The bus leaves in summer only once a day at 9:00 AM. Tickets do not need to be order online since there is always enough space. The bus leaves on point, which in spain is worth mentioning, such as the fact that the bus will stay in the ski station until 17:00 PM - god knows what the bus driver is doing with all the free time?! He seemed to be quite "content". Once up there you cant miss the trail up to the Veleta (3396 m) since there are so many options. There are no trees on this side and that altitude so you cant loose yourself. Worth mentioning that best time to go is not the weekend. There are always a lot of people doing the Veleta or even the Capileira - Veleta - Mulhacen - Pradollano Tour via Refugio de Poquiera. One you descend from Veleta your next goal is Mulhacen at 3478 m. Dont be surprised to walk on a vehicle made dirt track when crossing over to Mulhacen. I suppose back in the days, when the Sierra Nevada was not a national part, cars used to go that way. Its not steep for its 3000 and more meters. I even saw people with bikes on Mulhacen which makes imense sense when you ride your downhill style down all the way, but not if you carry them back down again?! Also you would expect people to be a little prepared for wind, changing

wheather .. but you will believe your eyes when you see folks climbing the "difficult" side of Mulhacen in sneakers and short ... with almost no water.

Once you had enough of the incredible views its time to walk down to the Siete Lagunas named after 7 small lakes. I am only aware of 5 but it depends on the time of the year (melt water makes the other 2 come alive i suppose). The Valley of the Siete Lagunas would be your spot to rest and have your tiffin. From there it takes another 2-4 hours to Trevelez which is a beautiful walk down, from the barren rocks down to pine forests and meadows close to Trevelez.

Voila

The way back: That is the catch! If you want to go back to Granada the same day you have to catch the last bus! In summer it should be at 17:30! That means you have to cover the 26 KM in 7 hours. That is, to be honest, quite sportive and not everyones case. But there is a good alternative, as the last bus from Orgiva leaves at 20:30 in the evening. You should be able

to catch a lift from Trevelez to Orgiva. Usually it doesnt take long.

Check www.alsa.es for more

DONT forget to bring something against wind/cold! Even in summer, at almost 3500m, its not gonna be like down in Granada or the coast. I consider this common sense, but some of the people you may see on Mulhacen, for some reason not :)

Photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/105726765340731413642/PradollanoTrevelez?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Pradollano - Veleta - Mulhacen - Trevelez (one-way)

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Climbing & more at the Embalse de Quentar (Granada)

2011-09-10T11:36:00.001+02:00

Just a 30 minutes drive away from Granada Town, the Embalse de Quentar, a artificial water reservoir, is a very welcome afternoon trip in the hot Andalusian summer days. If you feel like swimming, rock climbing, fishing or walking the Quentar water reservoir could be your option. Rarely visited by locals and tourist you find always a tranquil spot to rest, though there is no path or whatsoever going around the water. In case you want to cross over to other places on the shore you have to either swim or bring a dingy which is fun enough.

The rocky slopes are perfect for climbing and the big cave is a climbers paradise as you can jump into water once you slip. Just bring you climbing shoes and water and you ready to go. there are no hooks or whatsoever - its freeclimbing in various degrees. Best time to visit is between July and September.

If you bring a dingy you can explorer the few sidearms of the lake with small sandy beaches and fresh water flowing into the lake. if you aim for fishing there is loads of fish waiting to be hauled in. In fact i find the non-endemic prominent grayling type fish a bit of a ecologic disaster for local species.

Summerbreak in Corsica (GR20)

2011-09-10T11:11:00.001+02:00

During the hot summer in Andalucia there are always ways to escape the tremendous heat. The month of august is the worst of them all. +40 Degrees makes it nearly impossible to walk around, even in the high mountains.

The GR20 in corsica is such a welcome escape! Its rated unter the TOP 10 of the world most diverse and beautiful long distance trails in the world and is the only one in europe in that category. The 200 something KM across the Island can be done in everything between 7-16 Days i believe. I read somewhere the there are records under 48 hours which, after having walked more then 120 KM of the same, i find it very hard to believe! Usually people take between 12-15 days for the 15 Stages or so.

During peak seasons there are lot of people on the trail and so walking without tent is not advisable. I heard you can also book in advance in some places but that seems to take the fun out of walking without knowing where to end up. The most funniest thing i found is that every single one of the refugees has propers menues, beer, wind, chocolate, whatever you can imaging for sale. Its extremely funny if you watch people walk a stage (in average 5-7 hours), arrive at 13:00 PM to start to have beers until the evening.

Corsicas interior, the mountains and the forests are amazing and you could well say that Corse is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. If you havent been you should go. For all information on the GR20 i found helpful please refer to this sites:

http://www.le-gr20.com
http://corsica.forhikers.com

Sierra Nevada (Pradollano) - La Zubia

2011-07-23T15:43:00.000+02:00

This trip is one of the many choices when taking the bus up to the sierra nevada ski station (pradollano) from granada to walk back the same day. The ski resort is not the most beautiful sight during summer but it remains a perfect starting point for many trips. Dont be surprised to see a bunch of hikers up there in summer - its quite common for people around to tackle the peaks of Veleta and Mulhacen from there. i remember once counting almost 50 people going up. even more surprising, or as you wish, there is also a mini bus going up from the public bus stop at 2.400m all the way to the base of the Pico de Veleta at 3200m.

From Pradollano - La Zubia

This walk is basically one of the fastest ways to get back top Granada. The walk should take about 7-9 hours. There are many options if you feel like going into the Valle del Rio Monachil or the Trevenque. This one goes right through the middle of both. Another option is when you enter the Valle de Rio Dilar at its very beginning. In spring and summer you will see one of the biggest waterfalls in the whole Sierra Nevada. Even crossing over to the other side (Alpujarras) and going to Capileira or Orgiva is a good choice and doable in one Day. (The last bus leaves around 17 pm).

From Pradollano - La Zubia

In Summer there is only one bus from Granada and it leaves at 9 am every morning from the central bus station. The same bus stays up there until 17 pm (yes no joke) and goes back again. In summer and on weekends nowadays the main telecabina is open! So you can go up first from pradollano with the gondola and then change to chairlift or however you call these things. funnily the guy working there had no clue what it costs to go up - spain i tell you. india for beginners :)

Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105726765340731413642/PradollanoLaZubia?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Sierra Nevada (Pradollano) - La Zubia

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Rio Verde (one-way)

2011-07-14T10:56:00.009+02:00

If you ever go during summer to the south of spain you think that hiking out in the campo is impossible due to the extensive heat. For the majority of places this could be said as true. The Valle of Rio Verde is an exception from the rule. Not only is the valley descending directly into the Mediterranean Sea but also carries all year around plenty of water. As the name Rio Verde suggests the water is really green! .. really really green due to the geological structures/rocks chalk, launa.

Back in the medieval days the river was used for transporting wood down to the settlements on the coast and they kept doing this until mid of last century leaving not many trees standing. You can still see the marks on the rocks from the centuries of transport. The pathis going all the way from the coast up over the Sierra de Guajar/Cazulas/Almijara to Granada and was used to bring sea fruits on mules to Granada in a daytrip.

Nowadays the Valle del Rio Verde is known to some people for canoying which is quite fun but also a little sad, because of damages to the delicate structure of the riverbed. There are really enough deep and big pools to jump in and the the largest one is about 5 meters deep and has at least an radius of 8 meters. The base for jumping another 10 meters up. What could you want more in summer.

If you are thinking that you can walk the valley down without getting wet - its almost impossible! You have to cross the river at least 2-3 times and there may be no bridge or whatever. The river can really swell up in spring and take everything with it.

This trip is the perfect crowded beach or city summer getaway. There a two options:

1) One-way
On this option you start from the top and walk all the way down and in the end up to the road to either hitchhike or have somebody pick you up (or with 2 cars). walking the road up again would take at least 3-4 hours. There is also a Bus coming up from Almunecar which goes twice a day. Check out the time at http://www.alsa.es. It should be doable as the Bus back to Granada leaves at around 5/6.

2) Round-way
There is actually only one round trip option which i tried before (without gps) and for that you will stay in the upper part of the rio verde and take a diversion in direction of the small embalse (see google map/earth). This option will carry you only half kilometer along the Rio itself though.

Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105726765340731413642/RioVerde?feat=directlink

Rio Verde (one-way)

Fishing Lake Beznar

2011-06-11T18:10:00.000+02:00

On the road to Motril from Granada situated in the Valle de Lecrin you find the Embalse de Beznar, a water reservoir which is feed by the Rio Dilar i think. Its quite big and deep and used as a main drinking water reserver in the area - i was told because you are not supposed to swim and you never see boats. I guess it makes sense. So fishing is the only option i suppose. I dont know about spanish law - fact is that locals go there to fish so i dont see any problems doing the same. Also the lake is packed with fish which are mostly a form of carp which grow to something like 40-50cm max. I never had any of them bigger then that.

There a 2 Options. Going for carp which in late summer should be the best time - or going for perch which can be found also plenty. But same applies - the size is usually rather small. In any case its a worthwhile activity when going to the mountains or the beach since the lake is situated at the entry to the Alpujarras. Its a little difficult to access the lake so the best thing is to park near the dam and walk around (But dont fall - its quite steep at some spots ;)

The Lake in Guajar Sierra, just to mention, is of a different kind. The fish are bigger and it has quite some big trout in there. Thats for a future story to come.

Camino de Estrellas - Loma de Papeles

2011-06-10T19:37:00.003+02:00

This is one of the most spectacular hikes on the north side of the Sierra Nevada. The Camino de Estrella is well know for its stunning view of the Mount Mulhacen. People start from the bottom and walk the Vereda de la Estrella all the way up until the top. Back in the days this track was used for transporting ice from the mountains to the city. Also there used to be mines and people would take cows, sheep and goats for grazing up there in the summer. Nowadays on certain days quite a few people go up the first quarter of the camino to see the big mountains. Going up until the end where the path is getting difficult it takes almost 4-5 hours. Not many people go that far up and turn around halfway.

This hike is actually only following that camino for 1-2 hours and then heads up the northern side up until the Refugio de Pena Partida. Not too many people go this variation because there is basically only one other way to come back to the original starting point. That is walking all the way almost to the end of Guajar Sierra to walk up again to the starting point where the road ends. By the way there used to be also a train going up there i was told. Well there is not much to see of that but the old building at the end suggests beeing a train station. So not many people would go on that hike because its at least > 30 KM

Two things are to mention:

1) The Sauna

When leaving the Camino de Estrellas to go up to the Refugio del la Cucaracha you have to walk to a pine forest. The Ascend is > 400m i think and in summer it can get really hot. Also there will be no breeze in that patch of forest so with 40 Degrees and sun its is like a sauna of 60-70. Take water and take your time

2) Descending back to the bottom of the Valley del Rio Genil from the Loma de Papeles.

There is no public track going down. You have to pass through private property. So prepared for fences and dogs. Its doable pretend you are lost if somebody starts to make troubles.

Camino de Estrellas - Loma de Papeles

Mensday 2011 - Celebrating manhood in Granada

2011-06-03T18:12:00.000+02:00

Actually Fathersday is celebrated in only some europeas countries. I wouldn't know actually where this day is even coming from. In Germany for example men usually make a trip by foot, armed and loaded with beer. The one who falls behind first has to take care of all bills later. I dont know if this part of it or nor. The beer part - yes!

This was my first time having something like this ... in Spain, were usually people dont go out to say "hey, its mensday, lets grab some beers and go make a round". people do that all the time here. not quite - they usually stay in town. Also the topic of the walk was manhood and obviously girls (they of course are not allowed to participate) - stuff you only tell your best friends.

It was a nice adventure and going the round behind the Alhambra is always pure pleasure. Even more so with the right spirit and a couple of beers, manly talks and the wisdom that man cant live with girls but also can not live without girls.

Looking forward until next year