The second half of our Granada day trip took us east from Almuñécar along the Costa Tropical and then north into the Alpujarras. A gorgeous mountain district of Granada, las Alpujarras contain a number of picturesque villages spread across the habitable spots of the Sierra Nevada. Comprised entirely of white houses, the villages resemble errant spots of snow on the mountains, when seen from a distance.
Our path wound through a number of poetically-named towns: Albondón, Cádiar, Bércheles, Juviles. In between each, we soaked up the mountainous landscape, looking back over the Mediterranean. Our favorite was Trevélez — the highest recognized town in Spain at 1486 meters above sea level. As we arrived, the sun was setting over the town, nestled in a snowy valley with shadows falling across the white rooftops, and the effect was incredibly romantic. Trevélez is known for its cured hams, and we made sure to sample some.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to idle about, as driving through the Alpujarras during the night wasn’t an adventure we wanted to partake in. On the way back to Granada, we saw a fireworks display over the town of Lanjarón. It felt like they were just for us; a perfect conclusion to an incredible day.
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