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Shortly after Carataunas the road swings to the north, and you have your first view of the Poqueira Gorge , a huge sheer gash into the heights of the Sierra Nevada. Trickling deep in the bed of the cleft is the Rio Poqueira, which has its source near the peak of Mulhacen. The steep walls of the gorge are terraced and wooded from top to bottom, and dotted with little stone farmhouses. Much of the surrounding country looks barren from a distance, but close up you'll find that it's rich with flowers, woods, springs and streams. A trio of villages - three of the most spectacular and popular in the Alpujarras - teeters on the steep edge of the gorge among their terraces. The first is PAMPANEIRA , neat, prosperous and pretty. On its leafy main square is Nevadensis, an information centre (Mon & Tues 10am-3pm, Wed-Sat 10am-2pm & 4-6pm, Sun 10am-3pm; tel 958 763 127, www.nevadensis.com ) for the Natural and National Parks of the Sierra Nevada; they also offer horse-riding tours and guided treks including an ascent of Mulhacen. The same square also has a number of bars, restaurants and pensiones ; try Casa Diego by the fountain (tel 958 763 015; ?12-18), or the plusher Hostal Ruta del Mulhacen (tel 958 763 010, fax 958 763 010; ?18-27) at the entry to the village for rooms with bath. A weaving workshop just down the hill specializes in traditional alpujarreno designs. Above Pampaneira, on the very peak of the western flank of the Poqueira Gorge, is the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of Osel Ling ("Place of Clear Light"), founded in 1982 by a Tibetan monk on land donated by the communities of Pampaneira and Bubion. Three years later, in 1985, a baby born to Spanish parents in Granada was recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the former head lama - one Yeshe - and the youth is currently undergoing training under the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas. The simple stone-built monastery complete with stupas and stunning views across the Alpujarras welcomes visitors between 3 and 6pm daily; lectures on Buddhism are held regularly and facilities exist for those who want to visit for periods of retreat in cabins dotted around the site (call 958 343 134 for details). BUBION is the next of the three villages up the hill, backed for much of the year by snowcapped peaks. The village now has a private museum , the Casa Alpujarrena, just off Plaza de la Iglesia, the main square (daily except Tues 11am-2pm, Sat & Sun also 5-7pm; ?1.80), displaying aspects of the folklore, daily life and architecture of the Alpujarras in a traditional house. For places to stay , there's a fancy hotel, Villa Turistica del Poqueira (tel 958 763 111, fax 958 763 136; ?60-90) with its own restaurant, and a comfortable pension, Las Terrazas (tel 958 763 034, fax 958 763 252; ?18-27), which also has some excellent apartments (tel 958 763 217; ?27-36) downhill at c/Parras that come with terrace, kitchen and satellite TV; the proprietors also rent out mountain bikes . A decent restaurant , La Artesa , at c/Carretera 2, turns out alpujarreno specialities and has an economical menu . There is also a ranch, Dallas , 2km above the village, which will arrange horse-riding trips of from one to five days for groups with a guide (tel 958 763 038). The private tourist office , Rustic Blue (tel 958 763 381, www.rusticblue.com ; English spoken), on the main road to the right as you enter the village, can also book horse-riding and walking tours and help with accommodation in fully equipped houses across the Alpujarras (minimum two nights' stay; from around ?310 per week).
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