In the south of Spain, almost at the eastern tip of the Costa del Sol and running alongside is the Alpujarra, which is sometimes called the Alpujarras, because its geographical area is shared between the provinces of Granada and Almería, although the most typical and well-defined larger part belongs to Granada.

The Alpujarra has snow-capped summits, splendid green valleys, and rocky outcrops with echoes of the abyss in its raging ravines, while the light, the vegetation and the atmosphere suggest an infinite paradise.

It is possible to get from Mulhacén to the sea in only an hour and a half by road. It is an area of extraordinary unique beauty, its picturesque views, its vast varied landscape, both tough and irregular, and does not inspire idle curiosity, but induces a romantic search in the man who needs a greater understanding, so that his eyes may delve into the deepest recesses of its true character, at once the object of thought and emotion.

BARRANCO DE POQUEIRA (THE POQUEIRA RAVINE)

The Poqueira Ravine can be found within La Alpujarra. Specifically, in La Alpujarra Alta (Granada Province) The ravine houses the villages of Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira on its east side. The latter, at an altitude of 1,432 m., is the nearest village to the summits of the Sierra Nevada massif, in other words the peaks of Veleta (3,396 m.) and Mulhacén (3,382 m.). Pampaneira is located at 1,055 m. and Bubión is at 1, 300m. above sea level, and is the most peaceful and well-preserved of the three, with its small vegetable gardens inside the village, and the fine ham which can be bought here.

The trout-filled River Poqueira, which gives its name to the ravine, has its source in the meltwater from the semi-perpetual snow on the summits with the arrival of spring. Its tributaries are the Rivers Toril, Veleta, Seco and Mulhacén. The River Porqueira river joins the River Trevélez and flows into the River Guadalfeo, which reaches the sea between Motril and Salobreña.

The last hiding place of the Moors

To the south of Granada, nestling on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, are the white villages of La Alpujarra. In the 16th Century it was the last bastion of the Arabs, before their definitive expulsion from Spain. Today no traces remain of that warring past. There is pure air, good food, and slow strolls among the steep narrow streets.

By: Patricio de la Paz

The three warnings provided regarding the journey from Granada to La Alpujarra are absolutely correct. One, that the narrow route does not cease to climb. Two, that it is full of curves. Ant three, that on each curve the bus driver used the horn to prevent unpleasant surprises up ahead. Thus, climbing, bending, and with the horn as background music, you enter the area of tiny villages that nestle in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is, however, well worth the effort. After nearly two hours travelling, the driver leaves the horn for a moment and tells you to look up. There, as if hand-embroidered onto the green slopes of the highest mountain range in Spain, you an see the white villages that rise up from the same land where, centuries beforehand, Moors and Christians engaged in endless battle.

To cover the whole of La Alpujarra takes time. There are more than 20 little villages, beginning in the province of Granada and finishing in Almería. It is impossible for a traveller with a tight schedule to see them all. Luckily, the Spanish themselves are more than ready to recommend the three that are indispensable: Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira. And those are the three that the bus driver, with the innate vocation of a tour guide, points to as his index finger moves from bottom to top. "They are nestling in the foothills of the Poqueira Ravine, do you see? At the bottom of the ravine is the river which bears the same name. Above, the summit of Veleta, one of the highest in the country", he recites, almost as if by heart. And he has stopped sounding the horn.

Friends one and all.

Pampaneira is a gentle village. So says a full-colour ceramic plaque where the buses stop: "Traveller, stay and live with us". Its inhabitants, no more than 350, greet people with the same courtesy when crossing paths in the steep narrow streets, or when they are sitting by the entrances to their limewashed houses. We may suppose that they are the heirs of the Moors who, following the surrender of Granada at the end of the 15th Century, moved to these lands and, for almost 80 years, fought hard against the Christians. But these people have little to do with the Moors. They are rather the descendants of the Galician, Castillian and Asturian people who repopulated La Alpujarra from the middle of the 16th Century, when the Spanish monarchs definitively expelled the Arabs from their realms.

In any case, the past weighs heavily. And it reappears, from time to time, in the fine detail. An example are the crafts in Pampaneira. The most typical products are the Jarapas; fabrics made from scrap material from throughout Spain, which women in the village weave on huge looms using Moorish techniques which are over 400 years old. "To weave a piece takes around two hours. Originally, the jarapas were used under mattresses, and as drapes to cover food. Today they are usually rugs", explained Carmen, while she mixes wool, cotton and synthetic fibres. With infinite patience.

The architecture is also interesting. Due to the steep slope of the land, the houses are built in steps, with the roof of one acting as the patio for the one immediately above. For that reason, the roofs, or "terraos" as they are called here, are flat, and made from stone flags laid horizontally. The requirement must be followed each time a new home is built. "The architecture means we are all connected to each other. That is why we are friendly", says Amparo. And she goes on hanging out the washing on her own patio-roof.

The bountiful table

Although there are buses, the best way to get from Pampaneira to Bubión is on foot. Despite the fact that the two kilometres are literally "uphill" -it takes at least forty-five minutes-, the route is an exquisite walk in the middle of natural perfection. Very blue skies, very green trees, very white snow on the summits of the mountains that spring up on all sides.

A ceramic plaque also welcomes visitors to Bubión. In perfect printed characters, one can read some verses by the poet Rafael Gómez Montero: "From the snow to the sea, I rule the whole ravine from my ancestral tower...". It is thus impossible not to look on the remains of the Arab tower a few metres away, a mute witness from those times of war.

The rest of the village is very similar to its neighbour, Pampaneira. With these elements that provide the unmistakable "Moorish spirit" which can also be felt in some quarters in Granada, Cordoba, and Seville: steep narrow streets, houses always white, with the typical balconies -the "tinaos"-, from where flowers are hung. In Bubión these are so colourful that in the end you lose count.

Lunch time. And with it the realisation that the cuisine around here is as generous as it is filling. As a starter, almost without asking, the waiter serves Alpujarra soup. A boiling broth, made from meat, broad beans, vegetables, egg, bread, and ham. And, almost without a breather, he sets down the main dish on the table: "papas a lo pobre (sliced potatoes fried with onions and peppers), black pudding, fried egg and, of course, another good serving of Serrano ham ("made in Trevélez, here in La Alpujarra", said the proud waiter. With this spread, few are capable of making it to dessert. The waiter is insistent. But I am forced to say no. Above all after seeing on the menu that the area's speciality comprises of cakes with a sugar overdose. Loaded with syrup. Another irrefutable Moorish inheritance.

At the top

It is also a delight to get to Capileira on foot. This means two more steep kilometres. But no problem. At the entrance, as we might now expect, there is a welcoming ceramic plaque bearing the inspired words of Gómez Montero: "In the shadow of Veleta, drying in the sun and wind, they hung Capileira, as white as sheets".

Around 600 people live here. It is the largest of the three villages that cling to the Poqueira ravine. Rest assured that the driver with the soul of a guide told us hours previously, before beginning the climb through these white villages. In Capileira there are also jarapas, terraos, tinaos. Narrow streets. Limewashed walls. Springs gushing waters they say are miraculous, or at least curative. People giving friendly greetings.

A group of old people, all with impeccable hats, are chatting on a curved street. They are calmly smoking. They look like they are waiting for the sunset. One walks up slowly. "Do you want to see something unforgettable?", he says. And without waiting for a reply, he tells me to follow him. A few minutes later he stops on the edge of the village, on the side where the last white houses almost hang from the ravine. "Look", orders the old man. And the view is truly unforgettable: the green slopes that form the walls of this deep precipice that the people here call The Devil's Gorge, which loses itself far below in the waters of the Poqueira. You can also see Bubión and Pampaneira. Like a couple of white stains put there almost accidentally.

There is complete silence. Terrific silence. It almost makes you hold your breath in order not to break it. At 1450 metres above sea level, any mundane noise seems to go too far. The sun begins to disappear in Capileira. It is nightfall in one of the highest villages in Spain.