Las Alpujarras

The Alpujarras are a series of valleys on the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada, terraced and irrigated by channels built under Muslim rule and still in use, and the villages there kept a building style found nowhere else in Spain: flat roofs of launa, a grey clay laid over beams, chimneys with squat caps, and tinaos, covered passages where an upper room bridges the street. The style is North African in origin, brought by Berber settlers. After the Morisco rebellion of 1568 the population was expelled and replaced with settlers from northern Spain, but the architecture stayed. Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira in the Poqueira gorge are the most visited; Trevelez higher up is known for its cured ham.

What you actually see

• The flat launa roofs - grey clay roofing unique to these valleys.
• The tinaos - covered street passages under upper rooms.
• The Poqueira villages - Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira stacked up one gorge.
• The irrigation channels - acequias from the Muslim period still running.

When to go

April to June for flowers and snowmelt in the channels, September to November for clear air and the ham season; winter brings snow to the higher villages and closes some roads. August is crowded with Spanish holidaymakers.

Honest expectations

Roads are narrow, winding and slow, and driving between villages takes longer than the distances suggest. The Poqueira villages are heavily geared to visitors with souvenir shops on every corner. Parking is difficult and many streets are closed to cars.

Nearby

The Sierra Nevada peaks rise above; Granada lies northwest and the Costa Tropical south.