Hotel Rural Finca Los Llanos
Why we like it: A 44-room rural hotel at the entrance to Capileira, at 1,436 metres, with a seasonal pool over the gorge, a vegetable garden and a restaurant.
Duration2 nights
From Granada1 h 15 by car
From MálagaAbout 2 h
Best timeApril – June · September – November
Budget€150–260 pp
DifficultyMedium
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening and sleeping two nights in Capileira, the base for walking. Saturday is the mountain day, up the valley or to Mulhacén depending on the season; Sunday, the three villages and Trevélez.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival in Capileira
From Granada to Capileira, an hour and twenty via the A-44, Órgiva and Pampaneira. Dinner at Restaurante Gloria at the Hotel Finca Los Llanos, if you are sleeping there, and pack your rucksack.
Saturday
- 108:30Mulhacén or La Cebadilla
In summer and autumn, the guided climb of Mulhacén with Nevadensis: National Park minibus from Capileira to the Alto del Chorrillo and five to six hours on foot to 3,482 metres, with a picnic, from €80 and with a minimum of four people. The rest of the year, or if you prefer something quieter, the La Cebadilla trail leaves from the upper part of the village: 7.5 km and four hours up the valley to the hamlet of the Poqueira river power station.
- 217:00Capileira in the afternoon light
Walk down the streets to the viewpoint and the church of Santa María de la Cabeza, open in the afternoon from Wednesday to Sunday. Dinner in the village.
Sunday
- 109:30The three villages on foot
Drive down to Pampaneira and do the PR-A 70 trail towards Bubión and Capileira: 9.4 km and three and a half hours. If on Saturday you did Mulhacén, do only Pampaneira-Bubión and back.
- 214:00Lunch in Trevélez or Pampaneira
From March to Epiphany, go up to Trevélez, about 35 minutes from Capileira, and eat the village ham and garden dishes at La Fragua. The rest of the year, stay at Casa Alfonso, in Pampaneira, with Alpujarran cooking from its own garden. Then back to Granada via Órgiva.
From Granada, the Alpujarra is an hour and a quarter away, just right for a Sunday. But with two nights it changes: you sleep in Capileira, at almost 1,500 metres, walk early when the slope is still in shade and have time to climb Mulhacén in summer or go up the valley the rest of the year. From Málaga and Almería it is about two hours; from Jaén, two and twenty minutes; from Córdoba, about three.
When to go?
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking. Between Easter and early December the National Park minibus runs from Capileira, and in summer and autumn you can climb Mulhacén from the Alto del Chorrillo. In winter it is cold, it may snow in Capileira and La Fragua closes from Epiphany to March.
| What | Time | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Poqueira villages trail | 9.4 km · 3 h 30 | Regular walkers |
| La Cebadilla trail | 7.5 km · 4 h | Walkers |
| Guided Mulhacén from Alto del Chorrillo | 5–6 h · from €80 | Fit teenagers and adults |
| High peaks minibus | Half a day | Everyone |
| Capileira and its museum | 1 h 30 | Everyone |
Where to sleep?
Capileira is the base for this plan: the Hotel Rural Finca Los Llanos has 44 rooms, family ones included, a summer pool over the gorge, a vegetable garden and a restaurant. Pampaneira is the simple and cheaper option: the Hostal Pampaneira, with 15 rooms, a restaurant and a bike room, beside the bus stop. Trevélez, if you want to sleep higher and away from the Poqueira: the two buildings of La Fragua share a pool with views and parking.
If you have one more day
Take the high peaks minibus to Puerto Molina and the Trevélez viewpoint without needing to climb to the summit, or spend the morning at Bubión, the middle village, unhurried.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
La Alpujarra, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to La Alpujarra
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Slow Bends and Parking at the Entrance
By car from Granada you reach Pampaneira in a little over an hour, the last half hour on winding roads. The villages are not driven through: you park at the entrance and walk up.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHostal Pampaneira, at the entrance…
- Getting aroundA-44 towards Motril, A-348 via…
- Where to eatCasa Alfonso, in Pampaneira
- ServicesPampaneira municipal car park
Where to sleep
- Hostal Pampaneira, at the entrance to the gorge
- Hotel Rural Finca Los Llanos, in Capileira
- Hotel La Fragua, in Trevélez, with private parking
Getting around
- A-44 towards Motril, A-348 via Lanjarón and Órgiva and A-4132 to Pampaneira
- A-4129 from Pampaneira to Bubión and Capileira
- Trevélez, about 35 minutes from Capileira
Where to eat
- Casa Alfonso, in Pampaneira
- Teide restaurant, in Bubión
- La Fragua, in Trevélez, from March to Epiphany
Services
- Pampaneira municipal car park
- Car park of about 45 spaces at the start of the La Cebadilla trail
Mule Tracks and 3,000-Metre Peaks
The Alpujarra is walked from village to village along the age-old paths, and from Capileira you climb to the 3,000-metre peaks with the help of the National Park minibus. The GR-7 crosses the district.
55–100 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHostal Pampaneira, designed for GR-7…
- Getting aroundPR-A 70, the three villages…
- Where to eatCasa Alfonso, in Pampaneira, at…
- ServicesPampaneira information point, 958 763…
Where to sleep
- Hostal Pampaneira, designed for GR-7 hikers
- Hotel Rural Finca Los Llanos, at the foot of La Cebadilla
- Hotel La Fragua, in Trevélez, with mountain departures
Getting around
- PR-A 70, the three villages: 9.4 km, 3 h 30
- PR-A 69, La Cebadilla: 7.5 km, 4 h
- Minibus from Capileira to the Alto del Chorrillo, in summer and autumn
Where to eat
- Casa Alfonso, in Pampaneira, at the end of the PR-A 70
- Teide, in Bubión, halfway along the route
Services
- Pampaneira information point, 958 763 127
- Nevadensis: guided Mulhacén from €80
By Bus from Granada
Alsa links Granada with Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira, and Capileira with Trevélez. The journey takes about two hours. Based in one village and with routes on foot, you don't need a car.
50–90 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHostal Pampaneira, next to the…
- Getting aroundAlsa bus Granada–Capileira: about 2…
- Where to eatCasa Alfonso, in Pampaneira
- ServicesCheck timetables and buy tickets…
Where to sleep
- Hostal Pampaneira, next to the bus stop
- Hotel Rural Finca Los Llanos, in Capileira
Getting around
- Alsa bus Granada–Capileira: about 2 h
- On foot between the three villages along the PR-A 70
- National Park minibus from Capileira, in season
Where to eat
- Casa Alfonso, in Pampaneira
- Gloria restaurant, in Capileira
Services
- Check timetables and buy tickets on the Alsa website
- Capileira Town Hall, Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're on footwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hostal Pampaneira
Why we like it: A family guesthouse at the entrance to Pampaneira, with outward-facing double and triple rooms, a terrace over the gorge, the Casa Alfonso restaurant and bike storage.
Hotel La Fragua
Why we like it: Two hotels and a restaurant in the middle district of Trevélez, inside the Sierra Nevada National Park, with a pool with valley views and private parking.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Pampaneira | The entrance to the gorge, with more services and the start of the PR-A 70 | |
| Capileira | The highest village, for walking and climbing Mulhacén | |
| Trevélez | The ham village, in its own valley, 35 min away |
Where to eat
Where to eat in La Alpujarra
Casa Alfonso
What to order: the Alpujarran platter with potatoes from its garden, the cured meat board to share or the grilled ox loin
© Restaurante TeideTeide Restaurant
What to order: the home-style dish of the day, from the set menu or the à la carte
La Fragua Restaurant
What to order: the Trevélez ham and whatever the garden gives that week
Gloria Restaurant
What to order: seasonal dishes with produce from the hotel's garden
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Sleep in Capileira the night before walking: you set off on foot from the door and reach the trail before the sun hits the slope.
We'd skip it
August for the three-villages trail at midday: the slope faces south and has almost no shade.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Granada?
An hour and a quarter to Pampaneira and an hour and twenty to Capileira.
Do I need a car?
Not for Saturday or for the three-villages trail: Alsa links Granada with the villages. To go to Trevélez for lunch, a car helps.
Can I climb Mulhacén without experience?
From the Alto del Chorrillo it is easy to medium difficulty with no technical sections, but it is 5 or 6 hours at high altitude. With a guide it is safer.
Where is it best to sleep?
In Capileira for walking; in Pampaneira if you arrive by bus or want a lower price.
How much does it cost?
Between €150 and €260 per person with two nights, meals and one guided activity.