Sierra Nevada - Sierra Nevada - Andalusia, Spain

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Sierra Nevada mountain range

The singular natural, cultural and scenic wealth of the Sierra Nevada massif converts this enclave into one of the natural spaces of greatest interest in Andalusia. Sierra Nevada reaches heights of over 3,000 m, which makes it the massif of highest altitude in western Europe, after the Alps. The peak of Mulhacén (3,481 m) is the ceiling of the Iberian peninsula.

Furthermore, Sierra Nevada is not only a national park of great natural beauty, it also is one of Spain's most important ski-resorts.

Sierra Nevada National park

In the surrounding area there are numerous glacial lakes, the highest one being the Laguna de Altera, at 3,146 m. Declared a National Hunting Reserve in 1966, twenty years later Sierra Nevada received the denomination Biosphere Reserve, granted by Unesco. At last in 1989 it was declared a Natural Park, which affected the regions of the Río Nacimiento and the Alpujarra in Almería, Marquesado del Zenete, Valle de Lecrín, Granada Alpujarra and north Sierra Nevada, in Granada. Recently it has been declared a National Park.

Sierra Nevada is one of the largest Andalusian Protected Natural Spaces on the peninsula, with a surface area of 171,646 hectares shared between the provinces of Granada and Almería. The Romans called it Mons Slorius. The Arabs, Xolair Atzalg or Gebal Xolair (Arabicized Mozarabic place-names, meaning: "mountain of the sun"). It has been considered a natural marvel throughout history. Arab treatise writers such as Al Jatib or El Idrisi describe it with precision. From these beauty spots the caravans laden with silk produced in its regions, departed bound for rich, legendary and distant countries.

Towns in Sierra Nevada national park

54 municipal areas in both provinces belong either partially or totally to the Park.

Information Office
Carretera de la Sierra, 71
18071 Pinagelin (Granada)

Towns in the province of Granada
Aldeire, Alpujarra de la Sierra, Bérchules, Bubión, Busquístar, Cádiar, Cáñar, Capileira, Carataunas, Cástaras, Cogollos de Guadix, Dílar, Dólar, Dúrcal, Ferreira, Gójar, Güéjar-Sierra, Huéneja, Jérez del Marquesado, Juviles, La Calahorra, Lanjarón, Lanteira, La Tahá, La Zubia, Lecrín, Lugros, Monachil, Nevada, Nigüelas,Órgiva, Padul, Pampaneira, Pórtugos, Soportújar, Trevélez and Válor.

Towns in the province of Almería
Abla, Abrucena, Alboloduy, Alcolea, Alhabia, Almócita, Alsodux, Bayárcal, Beires, Bentarique, Canjáyar, Fiñana, Fondón, Íllar, Instinción, Las Tres Villas, Laujar de Andarax, Nacimiento, Ohanes, Padules, Paterna del Río, Rágol, Terque and Santa Cruz.

Sierra Nevada ski

Europe's southernmost ski station is located at only 31 kms from Granada city. It is the ski area with more hours of sunshine than any other European Ski Resort. Nevertheless most of the slopes face north east which means the best snow conditions throughout the whole season (november - may)! It is also the only ski resort from which you can see the sea while skiing.

The Alpujarra

On the south flank of the Sierra Nevada mountain range you find the Alpujarra. It was the last Moorish redoubt in the Kingdom of Granada is at the south of the massif forming a natural region of marked personality. Its impregnability against the Romans, Arabs and even Castillians and French throughout history have made it possible that ancient traditions and customs have survived intact to the present day.

Its natural resources have been used for a long time: from the old occupations of the snowfields to the new form of tourist exploitation through its winter ski stations, the southernmost in Europe and which leave behind the nostalgic memory of the trams that traversed its passes in the not too distant past. There are too many other economic resources to count: crops, products of human activity, fishing, hunting, sport, craftwork etc. But its real importance (apart from nature) is the cultural framework of its numerous human settlements.