Poqueira Villages Trail (PR-A 70)

The Poqueira villages trail links on foot the three villages of the gorge, Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira, along the old paths that connected them, going down to the river twice. It is circular, 9.4 km, estimated at three and a half hours, and the Junta rates it medium difficulty, with 380 metres of height difference between 1,008 and 1,388 metres. It goes along paths, streets and a stretch of road, among terraces, irrigation channels and chestnut trees, and it is the best way to understand how this landscape was built.

From Pampaneira to Capileira via Bubión

You start in the upper part of Pampaneira, on the old path to Bubión. There is no parking at the start: Pampaneira's municipal car park is the option. As soon as you set out you see the grey terraos of the village, the flat roofs waterproofed with a grey clay earth. After about 400 metres you cross an irrigation channel and after about 600 the Cerezo ravine. At the kilometre you reach Bubión's Barrio Hondo.

From Bubión the path keeps climbing among fruit terraces until it crosses the Tejar ravine by a bridge, some 700 metres further on, and leaves the dense vegetation for a steeper slope, among water tanks, farmhouses and old chestnut trees. After another ravine, a turn-off on the right begins the last 800 metres of steep climb to Capileira.

Return by the river

From Capileira you go back towards Bubión, skirt it below at the level of the sports centre and descend to the Puente Chiscal to cross the Poqueira. On the other slope, the path climbs gently, crosses the Rosas ravine, passes an oak that marks a junction and descends among oaks to the ruins of a farmhouse. The last stretch of descent is loose stone, so take care, to the river, opposite the ruins of an old flour mill. You cross by a bridge and return to Pampaneira.

Before setting out

There is little shade: take water, check that the springs are drinkable and wear mountain footwear, because there are stepped and uneven stretches. No authorisation is needed. If you don't want to do the full circuit, the outward stretch between the three villages already gives the idea, and you can return on the regular bus, which runs along the road; the timetables are on the sheet for the Alsa bus from Granada.

The route is the centrepiece of the Sunday around the three Poqueira villages on foot. To eat at the start or the end, Casa Alfonso is at the entrance to Pampaneira; to sleep next to the start, the Hostal Pampaneira, on the same avenue.