Las Alpujarras - amenities, climate, and travel information

The Alpujarras is a stunningly beautiful mountain area on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada range in Andalucia. It is situated about 90 minutes drive south from the historic city of Granada, and the same distance north of the Mediterranean sea.

About the area

To explore the Alpujarras is to step back in time. For many centuries the area was populated by the Moors who left their mark on the landscape: everywhere you look there are terraced fields, mediaeval mule paths and an incredibly sophisticated, hand-constructed irrigation system with hundreds of kilometres of water channels (acequias) and tiny reservoirs (alberquas). For a thousand years these have provided water from the high sierras to every village and every meadow, almond grove and vegetable garden in the area. This system is still in use today.

The Alpujarras is famous for its white villages, clinging precariously to the mountainsides. This too shows the legacy of the Moors: the jumbles of flat-roofed, rammed earth dwellings are not seen anywhere else in Spain but closely resemble the building style of the Atlas mountains of Morocco.

For anyone who enjoys walking, horseback riding or mountain biking, the Alpujarras is a paradise of winding paths and stunning views. It is also renowned for the abundant variety of its flora and fauna - the Sierra Nevada is home to more than 2,100 plant species, over 80 of them unique, and many rare species of butterflies, insects, and birds. See more information on the enormous variety of butterflies in the Sierra Nevada, including a list of over 60 butterflies seen in one week's visit.

Local amenities

Local bars & restaurants: bars, pizzas, local fare and one of the top vegetarian restaurants in Spain, are only a ten minute walk away.

Bank, pharmacy, supermarket, post office: are all available in the nearby village of Pitres, which also has a market on Fridays.

Swimming: there's a fabulous outdoor pool just outside Pitres, a short drive away. Open all summer.

Excursions: Granada and the Alhambra Palace are about 75 minutes drive away, as are the nearest Mediterranean beaches. In winter, the Sierra Nevada ski station is a couple of hours' drive. In the mountain villages there are bars, restaurants, craft shops and bodegas where you can buy cheeses, wines and the dried ham for which the region is famous.

The climate

The Alpajurras has a superb climate, possibly the best in Europe. There are at least 320 days of sunshine each year and the humidity is low. There are long hours of daylight and even in winter it stays light until 6 oclock.

Winter temperatures are fairly warm during the day (around 12 °C) and chilly, sometimes cold, at night. From March onwards, temperatures start to climb into the twenties, and by mid July the afternoons are hot (around 35 °C) and shady terraces and siestas seem like a great idea. Temperatures start to drop again from late August.

Average Monthly Figures:
January 12°C, February 14°C, March 17°C, April 20°C
May 22°C, June 26°C, July 32°C, August 36°C
September 26°C, October 20°C, November 17°C, December 14°C

Getting to Casa Ana in Las Alpujarras

Casa Ana is in the small village of Ferreirola. The address is Casa Ana, Calle Artesa, Ferreirola, 18414 La Taha de Pitres, Granada (Province). The nearest main road is the A-4132 running from Órgiva to Trevélez (and beyond), and the nearest main village is Pitres, situated some 5km away on the A-4132.

By air: Granada airport is only a 1.5 hour drive away, and Malaga airport, 2.5 hours. Many budget airlines operate daily direct flights including Ryanair (to Granada) and Easyjet, Bmibaby, Flybe, British Airways, Iberia and many others (to Malaga).

From the airport: taxis, minibus and car hire are available from both airports and there are regular buses to a village nearby. We can book transport for you in advance.

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