3 Hikes in Sierra Nevada

I love walking through city streets; getting lost down narrow alleyways, grabbing a bite to eat at a cafe bursting with locals and admiring the pace of life, and getting a glimpse of the domestic cogs that make the city-life wheel turn. Cities are great places to really get a perspective of the culture of wherever you’re visiting. That being said, I will always love getting out in nature and going for a good, long hike. There are experiences you get while hiking and adventuring that don’t often come easily in cities. Taking public transport out to the countryside and interacting with locals en route, encountering travellers and fellow outdoorsy folk while hiking, swapping tales and helpful hints about the upcoming trail, and witnessing the incredible amounts of beauty that is abundant once one ventures beyond the city limits.

While staying in and near Granada, Mac and I completed 3 hikes in Sierra Nevada. This mountain range is Southern Spain’s claim to fame – the snow-covered peaks glisten in the sun and dominate the skyline. Our hikes took us through villages in the foothills of the mountains, alongside snow-fed rivers, and to breathtaking view points. After having spent quite a few of the previous weeks solely in city centers, I was so thrilled to finally be back hiking. Our 3 hikes in Sierra Nevada were just what my hiker soul needed.

3 Hikes in Sierra Nevada

Los Cahorros (Monachil)

Monachil is a small suburb of Granada, about 30 minutes southeast from the city centre. After a brief and somewhat chaotic encounter in Spanish with a local Granadaina and the uninterested bus driver, Mac and I were on our way. We took the bus to the end of the line and promptly enjoyed our lunch on a bench overlooking the valley below. We hiked the Camino Real de los Neveros trail from Las Terreras (just outside Huetor Vega) to Monachil, circumnavigating Peñón del Grajo mountain. The terrain was smooth, but the land was quite barren with scrubby bushes and rocks dominating the land.

Eventually we made it into the town of Monachil. Mac became spontaneously surrounded by a herd of goats while innocently filling up our water bottles! Their clanging bells and endless ‘baas’ definitely livened up the main street for a few moments!! The afternoon was quickly passing us by, so we hustled to get on the trail to Los Cahorros.

Los Cahorros

We hiked up to the top of the cliffs in the Hazas Llanas area and were rewarded with some pretty incredible views of the jagged cliffs and canyons nearby. The setting sun provided some pretty cool lighting conditions and this little photographer enjoyed playing around with the sunbeams that exploded over the horizon.

From the top of the cliffs, we followed the trail down into the valley and it was here where the interesting park of the hike started! After crossing a wobbly suspension bridge, we hiked beside the surging Rio Monachil. I didn’t even stick my fingers in the river, but from what I’ve heard, it’s cold!!! The flowing river and the steep walls of the gorge sandwich the trail. At various points on the trail, the walls became so close to the river that some severe finagling and manoeuvring was required. Thankfully there were some hand holds for those of us that don’t seem to possess any gracefulness.

We slithered, we crawled, we tippy-toed our way along the gorge and managed to not fall in the river (truly an unbelievable feat for yours truly). A few more suspension bridge crossings and we were back in Monachil, just in time to run to catch the bus back to Granada.

There are numerous trails in and around the Los Cahorros gorge, and you could definitely devote a full day to hiking and exploring near Monachil.

Practical Information

Getting There: We took bus 184 from Paseo de los Basilios (by the river in Central Granada) to Calle Monte Vélez in Huetor Vega. From there, we hiked to join up with Rambla de las Chinas which (after taking the left fork) joins up with the Camino Real de Los Neveros trail which leads to Monachil. From Monachil, we took the 183 bus back to Granada. The bus is $1.50 per person, each way and takes about 30 minutes. *Note, you could also take the Number 9 Granada City bus to Los Rebites and walk through town to get to the start of the trail.

Trail Maps: The website Trek Sierra Nevada was a gold mine for hiking information. We combined two of their hikes: Camino Real de Los Neveros and Los Cahorros. The website also has plenty of information about getting to each place by bus or car.

Beas de Granada

We were fortunate enough to stay in Beas de Granada – a small town where one of our more interesting CouchSurfing hosts calls home. This small hamlet is in the hills outside Granada and is a hot bed for hiking trails and outdoor adventure. Mac and I were able to do an incredible hike right from our host’s front door! We hiked along a dirt path, skirting the mountains with views to our left and right the entire time.

Miradors and Mozarabe

Eventually we stopped for lunch at a convergence of paths with an epic view point. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Camino de Santiago – a 700 mile pilgrimage hike that crosses northern Spain. Well, due to the increasing popularity of that hike, the government has started an initiative of introducing more long-distance hiking trails throughout Spain. El Camino de Mozarabe de Santiago is one of these trails and it intersected our route. This trail starts in either Almeria, Malaga, or Jaen. These trails travel northwest and eventually merge and end in Merida (near the Spain/Portugal border). From Merida, one can continue through the Via de la Plata of Santiago de Compostela. As someone who loves hiking and inspiring others to get outside, I’m keen to see how this project evolves and grows over the years.

The jaw-dropping views just kept coming as we made our way along the valley. The reservoir in the valley down below coupled with the jagged summit of Mulhacen (3479m) on the horizon with lush forest in between made for a stunning vista I won’t soon forget. This hike was one postcard view after another.

Eventually we made it to our destination – an abandoned fire lookout hut perched high on a hill. The enclosed space – albeit, with a few panes of broken glass – made for a great shelter from the wind. We bided our time here for a while, continuously pinching ourselves at the beauty before us.

Eventually we made the long hike back to Beas – with a slight detour to go past a rock tower that was both impressive and picturesque. We spent the evening relaxing and resting our tired bodies. Our CS host put on a newly released movie, Roma. This black and white film is about a middle-class family in Mexico in the 1970s. It was interesting and gripping. I’d definitely recommend it.

Practical Information

Unfortunately there aren’t many trail maps for this area of Granada. If you’d like to do a similar hike, leave the center of Beas de Granada and head up Calle Guadix. Follow the paved, then dirt, road up and then eventually over the small hill range. The abandoned fire hut lookout is almost directly east of Beas and overlooks the Embalse de Quentar (reservoir).

Vereda de la Estrella

The last of our 3 hikes in Sierra Nevada was based out of the teeny town of Güéjar Sierra. Our CS host drove us here and led us on the Vereda de la Estrella hike. The trail follows the Rio Genil through a winding valley. For the first half of the hike we were mostly in the shade of the towering mountain, but soon enough we came to a turn in the path and were greeted with the most wonderful sight. Mount Alcazaba (3371m) in all its glory – flanked on either side by rolling summits, and topped with the clearest, bluest sky.

We had lunch on the rocks in the full sunshine and then continued past abandoned mining huts and villages. Eventually we came to a bridge which crossed Rio Genil. It was here where we were treated with a phenomenal view of Pico Veleta (3398m). The plumes of snow being blown off the summit made for a delightful winter scene (even though you couldn’t pay this cold-hating Canadian to go there!).

The trail continues on for a few more kilometres, but with our CS host battling a pesky cold, and Mac and I having hiked almost 15km each of the previous two days, our group decided to turn back. With shaded valley views the whole way, our return trek seemed a lot longer than the way out. Fortunately Restaurante Barranco San Juan was ready and waiting for us at the end. A roaring fire with a round of drinks (and tapas!!) made for the perfect finish to yet another wonderful hike in Sierra Nevada.

Practical Information

Getting There: The trailhead for Vereda de la Estrella is not easily accessible by bus, unfortunately. You could walk from Güéjar Sierra to the trailhead, but it would add a significant amount of time/distance to an already long hike.

Distance: 10km (one way). The bridge where we turned around is about 7km from the trailhead.

Tell me, have you ever been hiking in Granada? Which of these 3 hikes in Sierra Nevada looks most appealing to you?

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