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| |  | | Bubion and Capileira with Veleta beyond
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| THE ALPUJARRA
In the south of Spain, at the far end of the oriental side of Costa del Sol and very near you can find La Alpujarra, sometimes called Las Alpujarras, due to the fact that it is situated within the provinces of Granada and Almeria, although it mostly belongs to Granada and it reflects so.
The Alpujarra has snowed peaks, gorgeous green valleys and rock mountains that carries ecoes from cliff to cliff. The sunlight, vegetation and surroundings are like an eternal paradise.
From the Mulhacen to the sea there is only a one and a half hour journey. It´s an area of amazing beauty, picturesque settings, a variety of views, although never the same, and does not give a calming feeling but instead makes you want to discover more, so that your eyes can learn from the pure beauty of nature, your mind and emotions are touched.
| | THE BARRANCO DEL POQUEIRA
The Barranco del Poqueira is within the region of La Alpujarra. Situated in the Alpujarra Alta (Province of Granada). This area stretches from the villages of Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira. The last mentioned at an altitud of 1.432 metres, the closest village to the highest peaks of Sierra Nevada which would be the peaks of the Veleta (3.396 metres) and the Mulhacen (13.482 metres). Pampaneira is at 1.055 metres and Bubion is at 1.300 metres, the quietest and best well kept of the three with it´s small gardens and patches of fruits right in the centre of the village, known for it´s wonderful cured ham that can be purchased.
The Poqueira river is full of trouts and the barranco is named after it, the water comes from the snow and ice that melts on the peaks in springtime. The other rivers that join are Toril, Veleta, Seco and Mulhacén. The Poqueira river joins with Trevelez river to end up in the Guadalfeo river which ends between Motril and Salobreña
The last hideout of the moorish
In the south of Granada, hidden in the outskirts of Sierra Nevada, white villages are perched in the mountains these would be La Alpujarra.
| | The three things that are to be taken into account about the access from Granada to La Alpujarra and that are absolutely true are: One that the road is very tiresome, it never seems to stop going up and up. Second that there are many many curves. And thirdly that every time you turn a curve the coach driver hoots the horn in case of a nasty surprise around the corner. So as you go up and up round every curve with loud hooting you find yourself inmerse in these tiny villages hidden in the surroundings of Sierra Nevada. But it has to be said that it will be worth the effort. After nearly two hours in the coach, the driver stops hooting the horn and asks everybody to look up. In the green hillside, one of the highest in Spain, you can see some of the whitest villages ever, in the same place they were centuries ago when the christians and moors battled until the end.
To visit the Alpujarra you need time. There are more than 20 villages that start in the Granada province and end in the province of Almeria. So it would be impossible to see them all in a short space of time.
Luckily Spanish people recommend to visit the most important ones: Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira. The same ones that the coach driver kindly pointed out when he suddenly became a tourist guide, waving his finger waving up and down. "They are perked on the hillside of the Barranco del Poqueira, can you see? Far ahead you can see the river that has the same name. And right at the top, the peak of the Veleta, one of the highest in the Peninsula" sounding like he knows it by heart. And after that he doesn´t hoot the horn.
All friends
Pampaneira is a friendly village. As soon as you arrive you receive the message and in full colour, there is a ceramic sign at the bus stop: "Visitor, stay and live with us". The villagers cannot be more than 350, all of them say hello in the same manner as you pass them in the narrow and steep streets or when you see them sitting in the doorstep of their white houses. It is thought they are what is left of the moors and that after the battles in Granada towards the end of the fifteenth century they moved to this land and for nearly 80 years fighted against the christians.
However the past always influences the future. And it always comes up in little ways. A typical example is the home products of Pampaneira. The most typical are the "jarapas" rustic style rugs, made out of the leftovers from materials from all over Spain and that the village women put together with special machinery designed by the moors for over more than 400 years. "It takes around two hours to put together one piece. Originally the "jarapas" were used to put under the matress and to cover food. Today they look like rugs". Carmen explains while she mixes wool, cotton and sinthetic fibres. A never ending patience.
The arquitecture is another interesting topic. Due to the steep inclination of the land, the houses are built in a stepped way, so that the roof of one floor is the terrace of the next floor higher up. That´s why the roofs or known as "terraos" in this area, are flat and made of stone in a horizontal way. This system must be used even in new buildings. "The arquitecture is a way of us all being connected to eachother. That´s why we are so friendly, Amparo says. And she continues to hang out her clothes on her roof-terrace.
The fertile table
Although there are coaches, the best way to visit Pampaneira and Bubion is by walking. Although the distance is two kilometres up hill- that makes you take at least forty five-, the walk is a wonderful way to experience the wildlife and natural surroundings. A blue sky, very green trees, white snow on the peaks of the mountains that surround us.
Una placa de cerámica es también la encargada de dar la bienvenida a Bubión. Con perfecta letra imprenta, se leen allí unos versos del poeta Rafael Gómez Montero: "Desde la nieve hasta el mar, domino todo el barranco desde mi torre ancestral...". Imposible no mirar, entonces, los restos del torreón árabe que está a pocos metros, mudo testigo de los tiempos guerreros.
A ceramic sign is also the way of welcoming visitors to Bubion. With clear writing it recites poetry verses from Rafael Gómez Montero: " From the snow to the sea, I own the cliffs from my past relatives tower...". After reading that you can´t help seeing the ruins of the arab tower that is within a few metres of distance, and that is the silent witness of the battle times.
The rest of the village is very much like it´s neighbouring village, Pampaneira. All those touches that make it feel like it has a "moorish spirit", that you can also feel in streets of Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla; narrow and steep streets, the houses are white and they all have those delightful balconies with "tinaos"-porches that have lovely flowers. In Bubion there are so many colours that it´s hard to remember all of them.
Lunchtime. We must keep in mind that the gastronomy of this region is as generous in quantity as it is with calories. For starters you will be served Alpujarreña soup. A stock made with meat, beans, vegetables, egg,, bread and ham. After this and not wasting much time you will be served potatoes called "papas a lo pobre", morcilla -a type of sausage-, fried eggs and a large portion of serrano ham (ham made in Trevélez, in the Alpujarra"). After all of this many don´t manage dessert. But it is usual that the waiter will insist. However in my case it´s impossible. After seeing the menu the specialities are cakes made with huge amounts of sugar. Lot´s of syrup. Another part of the heritage from the moors.
At the highest point.
It´s lovely to walk to Capileira. Another two steep kilometres. But it doesn´t matter. At the arrival, as expected the welcome is on a ceramic sign with the words "Under the shadow of the Veleta, drying in the sun and in the air, Capileira was hung out like white towels", inspired by Gómez Montero.
Nearly 600 people live here. It´s the largest of the three villages that are situated in the Poqueira surroundings. The bus driver probably mentioned this while climbing towards these white villages. Capileira also has jarapas, the typical rugs, terraos, tinaos. Winding streets. Whitened walls. Fountains that countain water which is said to be miracle making or at least that cure illnesses. People that are friendly.
A group of elderly people, all wearing inmaculate hats, talk in a curved street. They smoke calmly. It seems they are waiting for the sunset. One of them comes up to me and asks." Would you like to see something extraordinary? And without waiting for my answer, he asks me to follow him. After a few minutes he stops nearly reaching the end of the village, where the last white houses pose. "Look", I´m told. And what I can see is really amazing: green hills ides that are the walls of the steep riverbank that is called "El Tajo del Diablo" and that reaches the Poqueira waters. You can also see Bubion and Pampaneira. They look like a couple of white stains painted by mistake.
Complete silence. Amazing. It makes you want to hold your breath so not to interupt the silence. At 1.450 metres above sea level, any noise seems like it´s so, so far away. The sun starts to dissapear in Capileira. The sun has set in one of the highest villages of Spain.
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