What to do in Granada

Granada province has in Mulhacén (3,479 m) the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Costa Tropical one of the most sun-drenched coastal strips in the western Mediterranean. This combination of extreme altitude and coastal climate defines the diversity of its activity offer. The Sierra Nevada holds the only high-mountain system accessible by road in Spain: the ski resort base sits at 2,100 metres, and the chairlifts allow gaining another 900 metres before walking or skiing begins. In summer, the Sierra Nevada's high-mountain routes attract alpinists and hikers seeking summits above 3,000 metres. The Veleta corridor (3,394 m) and the standard route to Mulhacén from Hoya de la Mora can be completed in 6-8-hour days without technical gear between June and September. Las Alpujarras, the southern slope of the Sierra Nevada, have their own trail network: the GR7 crosses its 25 white villages at altitudes between 700 and 1,800 metres, passing through chestnut ravines, Moorish irrigation channels and villages with Berber architecture. In the interior of the province, the Cubillas reservoir hosts calm-water kayaking and canoeing. The El Diedro multi-pitch climbing route, on the Tajos de la Hoz near Iznájar, is a multi-pitch line with a V+ crux. To the south, Fuente de Piedra—a 14 km2 endorheic lagoon—holds the most important greater flamingo colony in inland Europe, with over 15,000 breeding pairs in good years: birdwatching from the hides can be combined with hiking around the lake shore.