Valle de Lecrín

Valle de Lecrín stretches between the southern slopes of Sierra Nevada and the coast of the Alpujarra in Granada province, filling a basin of roughly 250 square kilometres at altitudes from 300 to 1,200 metres. The rivers Dúrcal, Torrente and their tributaries have carved limestone gorges and feed the acequias that irrigate thousands of orange, lemon, olive and almond trees set on terraces across the hillsides. In spring, when the citrus groves bloom together, a sweet, dense perfume fills the valley air — noticeable the moment you descend the mountain passes from Granada. The contrast between the snow-capped summit of Veleta (3,396 m) to the north and the orange-blossom fields at 600 metres is one of the province's most distinctive landscapes.

Eight municipalities form the valley — Nigüelas, Dúrcal, Padul, Villamena, Lecrín, El Pinar, Albuñuelas and El Valle — home to roughly 20,000 people. Each village preserves a historic quarter of whitewashed houses, stone fountains and small Mudéjar churches rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries after the Morisco rebellion. In Nigüelas, the Almazara de las Laerillas, dating from the 17th century, still produces cold-pressed olive oil and can be visited to learn the traditional process. In Dúrcal, the medieval bridge over the river and the Salto del Caballo waterfall mark the start of an 8 km network of trails through the river gorges.

Outdoor activities take advantage of the terrain's elevation changes. Canyoning in the Río Dúrcal and Barranco de Lújar draws groups who slide down rock chutes and jump into clear pools between limestone walls. Hiking routes are well signed: the Acequia de Nigüelas trail (5 km, virtually flat) follows an irrigation channel through orange groves with views of the valley and Sierra Nevada; the ascent of Cerro del Caballo (3,011 m) from Lanjarón is a high-mountain option for experienced walkers. Road cycling is rewarding, as mountain passes connect the valley with the tropical coast at Motril and the Alpujarra plateau.

The valley's gastronomy revolves around virgin olive oil, oranges and garden produce. Restaurants in Dúrcal and Nigüelas serve dishes such as choto al ajillo, migas with pork scraps, broad beans with ham, and remojón granadino — a salad of orange, salt cod and olives that captures the valley's farming identity. Wine is made in small family bodegas from Monastrell and Tempranillo grapes. At weekends, local markets in Padul and Dúrcal sell seasonal fruit, rosemary honey and artisan goat's cheese. Granada is just 30 minutes away on the A-44, making it easy to pair a valley visit with the Alhambra, the Albaicín or the tapas bars of the old town.