Walking South from Granada

“This vast view of mountains, valleys, villages and distant sea lay spread out like an illustration of the features of the world in a child’s geography book”

The English writer Gerald Brenan was perhaps Andalusia’s last romantic traveller, and ‘South from Granada’ is one of his best known works. It deals with the landscapes and way of life in and around the Alpujarra village that was his home: Yegen. In the spirit of the writer, and with the unmistakable backdrop of one of the region’s most emblematic villages, you will make a thoroughly active visit to this part of the Alpujarra. Located on the southeastern foothills of Sierra Nevada, below the San Juan peak (2,786m) and flanked by the Mecina and Valor rivers, Yegen is a high, peaceful village (at 1,000m) with mild weather. It lies between the provinces of Granada and Almería, enjoying spectacular views and allowing us to imagine the sea that lies hidden behind the Contraviesa mountains to the south. Here you will experience two or three days of true communion with the landscapes, peoples and trails of the Alpujarra.

Live the Journey: Alone, with family or friends, you have several options for beautiful hikes: longer ones, with wonderful views of the high Sierra, or shorter hikes packed with delightful spots amidst cultivated land and untouched landscapes that will let you get to know this village from every angle. Furthermore, your accommodation there will make you feel truly at home and you will sample delicious cooking with excellent wines from the region. There is also the chance to visit a ham curer in Mecina Bombarón, peruse the photographs of ‘El Dinamarca’, a devoted lover of this village for the last 50 years, and visit the house where Brenan slept when he first came to Yegen.