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Holiday Walks In The Alpujarra The Alpujarra region of Spain is south of Granada and north from the Costa del Sol, providing the ideal mix of inland scenery, city culture and coastal pleasures. It was first publicised by Gerald Brenan in his 1930s book, “South from Granada” but has achieved great prominence more recently with Chris Stewart’s “Driving over Lemons” and “A Parrot in The Pepper Tree”. Visitors to this increasingly popular area can now discover the Alpujarra’s rural delights for themselves, thanks to a new book of walks from Sigma Leisure. “Holiday Walks in The Alpujarra” is published on 9th September at £8.95 and promises to be as useful to those planning a short break from the nearby coastal resorts as to discerning visitors planning a walking holiday in dramatic surroundings. Describes 27 well-tested circular walks, most of which are based on typical Alpujarran villages - and almost all of them accessible by public transport. Distances range from 5km to 25km, the ones at the shorter end being “more for serious dawdlers and picnickers”. There are plenty of reasons to dawdle - wild flowers cover the meadows from February to June, and herbs scent the air almost all-year round. Those that prefer sitting and staring to racing up mountains may well be inspired to take up painting or sketching, thanks to the many illustrations in this unusual book by Jeremy’s wife, Jeni. There’s an amazing variety of wildlife in the area -from birds that you’ll never see in your back garden, including hoopoes, golden orioles, and bee-eaters to mammals that include ibex and wild boar The walks are organised into chapters based on eight different villages including Yegen, popularised by Gerald Brenan, Capileira, at the head of a Tyrol-like valley, and Trevelez, famed for the air-cured hams seen hanging in almost every Spanish bar. The walks range from strolls around each village to peaceful valley explorations and mountain adventures - including the ascent of Mulhacén (14,030ft), the highest mountain in mainland Spain. Along the way, there are snow-sprinkled peaks, cascading streams, refreshing springs, ancient woodlands and reminders of previous visitors, stretching back to Roman times. For those in search of inner calm, there is even a visit to a Buddhist centre that was built to celebrate the reincarnation of a lama as a young boy in the Alpujarra! A further reminder of the history of the area is to be found in the Moorish city of Granada - just a few hours drive away and well worth a visit of a day or so. Jeremy provides three walks in and around the city, passing many of the most interesting buildings and monuments - some of which are easily missed by tourists aiming just for the Alhambra. “Holiday
Walks in The Alpujarra” includes detailed maps, altitude profiles,
information on public transport, accommodation addresses and glossaries
of Spanish terms. With all this information, readers can select
their walks with confidence, make sensible choices from restaurant
menus - and even say a few words to the friendly locals. A free
Internet update service completes this attractive package. (Jeremy Rabjohns,the author, is a freelance guide and holiday organiser who has lived in the area since 1995.) |
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