Discover Capileira: Hiking, Culture and Holiday Apartments

Capileira lies at an altitude of 1,435 metres and is the highest village in the Barranco del Poqueira. The natural setting is crowned by the highest peaks of the Iberian Peninsula: Veleta at 3,394 metres and Mulhacén at 3,482 metres.

More places to discover: Quéntar, Pinos Puente, Gorafe, Lanjarón, Padul, Cúllar Vega, Ogíjares, Dúdar.

Hiking

The Pueblos del Poqueira route is a 9.4-kilometre circular hiking trail with an estimated duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes and a moderate level of difficulty. It begins in Capileira on the old Camino Real del Poqueira and descends through terraced fields towards Bubión. The combination of length, estimated duration and level of difficulty provides clear points of comparison for your own planning.

From Capileira, access to the mountain refuge initially involves driving to La Cebadilla, or to the Poqueira hydroelectric power station, and then continuing on foot along the Acequias del Poqueira PR-A 23 path to Cortijo de las Tomas; from there, a branch path climbs to the refuge in about three hours. The route to La Cebadilla leads to the settlement at the Poqueira hydroelectric power station, crossing three bridges on the way and continuing as far as the Naute River. The stated duration of the circular route and the approximately three-hour ascent are different time estimates that you can consider separately when planning your day.

Nature

The Barranco del Poqueira is designated a Historic Site and connects Capileira, Bubión and Pampaneira with cultivated slopes, oak and holm oak stands, and the Poqueira River. The Pueblos del Poqueira route passes through a cultural landscape with terraced cultivation and irrigation channels that have served to irrigate and supply the land and villages since the Middle Ages.

Culture

The Iglesia de la Virgen de la Cabeza was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier building from 1502, which in turn replaced an earlier mosque, and houses a Baroque wooden altarpiece from the 17th century. The Casa-Museo Pedro Antonio de Alarcón is an ethnological museum that presents the writer’s life and work through objects, household utensils, handicrafts and agricultural tools in the atmosphere of a typical Alpujarra house.

Local life

Mauraca is Capileira’s annual chestnut festival, held around All Saints’ Day, during which chestnuts are gathered and roasted over a campfire while traditional music is played and people dance. The two bakeries in Capileira use sourdough, which is considered a traditional method of making bread from the Alpujarra.

When planning a trip to Capileira, the travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions for a holiday apartment can be considered as separate details. They complement the trails, museums and customs described here without conflating their individual characteristics.

Excursions

The Servicio de Interpretación Ambiental de la Zona de Altas Cumbres offers guided minibus tours during the summer months, providing information about the history, natural features, landscape and biology of the Sierra Nevada.

For the overarching travel overview: Granada.