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The Alpujarras, the jewel in the crown of the Costa Tropical, Andalucia

The Alpujarras also known as La Alpujarra or Las Alpujarras is a mountain district in the Southern Spanish region of Andalucia. The Alpujarras is the jewel in the crown of the region of Costa Tropical in Spain and it stretches from the southern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Granada to the Andalucian autonomous regions. The western part of the Alpujarras is situated in Granada while the eastern part falls in Almeria. In the earlier time, this region was called the Alpuxarras, which is derived from Arabic al Busherat, which means the grass-land.

The unparallel beauty of this Costa Tropical region makes it a popular tourist destination. Most of the Alpujarras consists of numerous valleys descending at right angles from the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges in the north to the Contraviesa, Sierras Almijara, and Gádor in the south. As a result of such diversity, the greenery and vegetation makes the Alpujarras one of the hottest destinations in Spain.

One of the primary reasons for the Alpujarras being a hot spot for tourists in Andalucia is the fact that it enjoys a great weather. The climate here is warm, which is combined with the natural beauty that includes beautiful grassy slopes, rivers, springs and brooks running down the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the enchanting valleys and gorges situated deep in the western Alpujarras are enough to hold your breath in awe. The Alpujarras valley has a rich abundance of different types of trees including grape vines, lemon tree, orange trees, figs, persimmons, and almonds.

History of the Alpujarras

The Alpujarras has been dominated by different civilizations starting with the Ibero-Celtic people and then by Romans followed by Visigoths and finally by the Moors. The Moors conquered this region in the 8th century and it was the last refuge for them. The Moors remained here for almost 150 years, long after the fall of Granada in 1492. It was only after the Morisco Revolt in 1568 that the Moors were forced to leave this region. Only two Moorish families were allowed to stay in each village as ordered by the Spanish crown so that they can show the new inhabitants how irrigation and terrace farming was done.

The Alpujarras has been strongly influenced by the Moors especially in agriculture. They are the ones who made cubic architecture popular and also have a strong influence in the making of the local cuisine. One of the main reasons behind active tourism in this part of Costa Tropical is due to the formidable backdrop of the Alpujarras Mountains. These mountains are steep and have been broken down in many places by glaciers that have now formed spectacular valleys and deep gorges. The gorges have been widened mostly by the rivers that are fed constantly by the melting ice.

Traveling in the Alpujarras

The Alpujarras is a heaven for adventure lovers and you can explore every inch of this region through hiking, trekking, walking, rock climbing and skiing. There are hundreds of trails that extend all the way from the Alpujarras and across the entire length and breadth of Costa Tropical all the way to Greece.