La Alpujarra, a special mountainous area in Andalusia Special because of the mountains, the people, the weather, the tranquility and not to forget because La Taha found its name here.
History La Alpujarra and La Taha
This was the last refuge of the Moors who remained here for 150 years after the fall of the Kingdom of Granada. The influence of the Moors can still be seen in the landscape here and the whitewashed houses with flat roofs and round chimneys are reminiscent of the Berber architecture of Morocco. Thanks to the construction of an ingenious irrigation system (acequias), the Moors were able to grow lemons, olives, grapes and figs.
This is where the name la Taha comes from. We saw the name many times and thought it sounded good. Only later did we discover that the name dates from the time of the Arab rule. La Taha de Pitres was the name for the seven villages that belonged to the village of Pitres.
Location and climate of La Alpujarra
The Alpujarras is a mountain region and is located on the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada between the cities of Granada and Almeria. The western part is in the province of Granada and the eastern part in the province of Almeria. The climate of this mountainous area knows great contrasts due to the differences in height. The summers are warm and dry, but especially in the higher parts it cools down considerably in the evening. Autumn and spring are ideal months for hiking. Spring because of the many species of butterflies, birds and flowers and in autumn it is a beautiful sight because of the trees that are changing color. Also it’s then the first snow appears on the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
Pitres
We stayed here years ago in one of the houses of a Japanese entrepreneur who ran a Flamenco clothing factory in the village of Pitres. We discovered more unusual combinations in this area: an Englishwoman who prepared vegetarian school meals, a Buddhist center at the top of a small village, a photographer who lived with the local shepherd, Spanish townspeople looking for peace and quiet.
Pueblos Blancos
There are so many beautiful hikes to make in this area. Even if you don’t want to go big and climb the Mulhacen, there are plenty of options for the less trained hiker. Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira are located one above the other on a beautiful gorge carved by the river Poqueira. From the lowest village of Pampaneira you can walk via Bubión to Capileira, at the top of the gorge.
This walk is also highly recommended!
