Local information on Capileira, Bubión and La Taha, Las Alpujarras

Capileira, Bubion and La Taha (the High Alpujarra)

In recent years, the High Alpujarra has grown into a favourite destination for walkers and anyone wanting a healthy, peaceful holiday in picturesque surroundings and pristine mountain air. If the Low Alpujarra (Orgiva and Lanjaron) is characterized by long, hot summers and villas with pools in the river valley, just a half hour’s drive up the mountain road brings you to another world altogether, with much more to offer.

The climate and vegetation has changed from semi-tropical to temperate. There are cherry and almond trees as well as olive. Centuries-old chestnuts shade walking trails and irrigation channels that have been maintained since the Moors ruled here 500 years ago.

Mules still plough the fields and grapevines grow over the terraces of old farmsteads and whitewashed houses. Ancient villages tacked onto the mountainside have populations numbered in the hundreds and often less. Before continuing up to Sierra Nevada National Park the road passes through the most spectacular area of Las Alpujarras.

The River Poqueira runs along the floor of a wide ravine on whose slopes three villages are framed by a mountain backdrop that is white with snow in winter and sunny most of the rest. It’s one of natural Spain’s emblematic images. Pampaneira is equally as charming as the other two villages and has more souvenir shops, but less blessed in terms of views and hours of sun. More popular for holiday stays are Bubion and Capileira.

They’re situated higher up the Poqueira Gorge from where they command the best possible views of the mountains, valleys and even the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. Here you’re little more than an hour from Granada or the coast and yet in another world altogether, with a slow, pastoral rhythm that proves impervious to the advent of tourism.

Ten minutes round the mountainside is La Taha de Pitres, name given to the Moorish district of seven little villages in their own sunny enclave.

Bubion

One of the most characteristic features of the High Alpujarra villages is their unusual architecture. As the village descends the natural contours of the hillside, the roofs of the low houses form a patchwork marked out by toadstool chimneys of all shapes and sizes.

Even in Andalucia it rains and yet all the roofs are flat: a legacy of the Moors who built in the Berber style of sun-parched northern Morocco and now so much a part of the Alpujarran heritage that any new building must follow suit. Bubión (altitude 1,350 m) is a tranquil village of some 360 inhabitants.

The road (there is only one) passes through the top of the village on its way to Capileira, a mile or so further up the ravine. Houses are interspersed with modest shops, bars and a couple of restaurants. After the drive up from Orgiva, you need a few minutes to get your breath back and your bearings, then you realize that you’re in reached a privileged spot amidst unbeatable Andalusian mountain scenery, an unhurried (to say the least) place where everyone knows each other and where, “Tranquilo, aquí no pasa nada.” (“Relax, it’s very quiet round here.”)

The Visigoths were here, then the Moors, today it’s the turn of Spanish mountain country folk and a handful of foreigners who have made their homes here. They are the latest dwellers of stone-built houses, some of which are hundreds of years old. You will find the oldest houses in the nether parts of the village, down by the church and its undisturbed square. You can drive down there, but it’s quite steep and winding, and more interesting to wander down. It’s all very calm.

Along the way, you may pass a tobacconist’s or a little restaurant, an old man carrying produce from his vegetable garden or a walker looking forward to a drink and a tapa at the main café-bar-restaurant up top, but that’s about it.

Tourism is the life blood of the Alpujarra these days. Some of the holiday lets are in newly-built apartments; the more satisfying accommodation, though, is in those traditional houses and cottages that have been renovated for the purpose. Some of these date back to the 16th century, as does the original church, where Christians once took refuge in the tower during the last uprising of the Moors.

Bubión is a perfect place to spend either a restful week or two, on a shady terrace enjoying the view in the summer, in winter with a log fire, or an active holiday, hiking the trails that make the Alpujarra such a magnet for walkers.

From Bubión, footpaths lead down to Pampaneira, up to Capileira, or over the ridge to Pitres and the Taha. If you come by car, your hiking options expand to include high altitude walks through pines and alpine terrain in National Parkland and also Mulhacen mountain, the highest in mainland Spain at 3,412 m. Although no rock climbing is involved, the ascent is often difficult in winter as snow can lie deep.

Snow can fall in Bubión, but it’s uncommon and tends to melt away quickly. A car will also allow you to explore the wonderfully quaint villages and delightful trails of La Taha, explore east along the road to Trevelez (Spain’s highest village) and beyond, as well as visit Granada and the incomparable Alhambra palaces.

The Costa Tropical is also within relatively easy reach for day trips. Beaches are pebbly but they still prove popular in the summer and there are beach restaurants that barbecue freshly caught fish. On your return, you will find the same, serene little village with natural spring fountains to quench your thirst and inexpensive options for food and drink at local hostelries.

Bubión has a popular café/bar/restaurant with outdoor terraces, other bars and restaurants, a simple mini-supermarket, a weaving workshop, two craft shops, a tobacconist’s (where you can buy stamps), and a small museum. The local doctor holds surgery for a couple of hours most mornings near the pharmacy. Market day for buying fresh fruit and vegetables is Monday.

There are several fiestas and saint’s feast days, with the main summer fiestas held on the penultimate weekend of August. View and book selected self-catering accommodation in Bubión.

See all holiday homes in Las Alpujarras or read Alpujarras guide


Getting here:
By plane to Granada and hire car (I hr 20 mins from the airport). By plane to Malaga and hire car (2 hrs 15 mins from the airport). There are also 3 buses a day from Granada bus station, the last leaving at 4.30 pm.

Capileira

Crowning the Poqueira Gorge, where its houses appear to have come to rest after tumbling down in an orderly-disorderly fashion, Capileira (altitude 1,435 m, population 570) is somewhat larger than neighbouring Bubión and has more to offer in terms of facilities.

The backdrop of the Sierra Nevada is as dramatic as the huge views south down the ravine to Bubión, Pampaneira and to Sierra Lujar, the last mountain before the Mediterranean Sea. Capileira village is very pretty. The semi-pedestrianized main square at the top of the of the village forms the focal point. Around here you’ll find café-bars with terraces, restaurants, a well-stocked supermarket, craft shops, pharmacy, bank with ATM, internet café and church.

As you wend your way down through the village, the houses get older and the place becomes ever more magical. The winding streets, too narrow for cars, form a fascinating maze of alleys and passages all the way down to where the country path begins its descent to a bridge over the river, joining up with the path to Bubión on the way. Sometimes it seems to exist in a dream-like state: you see virtually nobody and are met by more dogs and cats than people. Streets and houses are built on top of each other, with typical Alpujarran tinaos (a semi-public porch), curious corners, chicken coops, mule stables and fresh mineral mountain mineral water pouring out of fountains. Walking the mountain paths is probably Capileira’s principal attraction.

There are gentle walks up the gorge, one passing the ghost village of La Cebadilla, built for workers constructing the hydro-electric station where two rivers meet and the path climbs into National Parkland. Another route takes you through pine forest over the ridge and down into the Taha, passing through tiny Capilerilla to Pitres, from where it’s possible to link up with a bus back to Capileira. More demanding trails include the trek up Mulhacén (3,482 m), the Iberian peninsula’s highest mountain.

The terrain is alpine and a source of fascination to botanists who spot unique endemic species that have evolved in an environment of high altitude and Andalusian sun. You can drive up to the entrance of the National Park, park and walk in (there is no charge). In summer a mini-bus with a multi-lingual guide runs from Capileira all the way into the Park.

Capileira is also well-known for its artists, both Spanish and international, including the extraordinary Christopher Hoare. A gallery and shop on the main square exhibits their work that combines local themes with their individual styles and visions.


The climate assures hot summers and cold but often sunny winters. It can snow, but normally the snow line is some way above the village. Spring and autumn provide the peak months for walking and also the most enjoyable seasons of the year to visit La Alpujarra.

There are several good eating and drinking options in Capileira village and a couple of late-night bars, too. A butcher’s, tobacconist’s, souvenir shops, two bakeries, one with a reputation for the best wood-fired oven loaves, an excellent leather goods shop and a museum with typically Andalusian irregular opening hours round off the facilities.

On Tuesdays, there’s a fruit-and-veg market where you can fresh produce direct from the trucks. A doctor’s surgery operates most mornings and the local pharmacy is run by a very friendly family.

There are several fiestas and saint’s feast days, with the main summer fiestas held on the second weekend of August.

View and book selected self catering accommodation in Capileira.

Or See all holiday homes in Las Alpujarras ;you can also read our Alpujarras guide.

Getting here:
By plane to Granada and hire car (1 hr 30 mins from the airport). By plane to Malaga and hire car (2 hrs 30 mins from the airport). There are also 3 buses a day from Granada bus station, the last leaving at 4.30 pm.


La Taha de Pitres

The Taha, formerly the Moorish name for an administrative district, is now used in La Alpujarra to refer to one particular area ten minutes further on from Bubión, Capileira and the Poqueira Gorge. The terrain is more gentle, less abrupt, and the climate warmer and kinder than other high Alpujarra areas.

The Taha comprises seven villages, with Pitres at their head the largest by far, yet numbering only 400 inhabitants. The other six are gorgeous little hamlets situated on roads that come to an end and invite you to wander in. Paths take you from one to another or wind round gullies as you proceed along the wooded ravine of the river valley. There are some wonderful views.

Pitres is where you will find the Taha’s supermarket, bakery, a wholefood shop, open-air market on Fridays, bars, a couple of restaurants and bank with ATM. It has a large square dominated by a 16th century Mudejar-style church with a distinctive tower. The summer fiestas, normally held on the second weekend of August, are enthusiastically celebrated by a multitude of locals and visitors alike.

Just outside Pitres is a campsite with a large open air swimming pool, surrounded by lawns, that opens to non-campers during the summer months. The six dependent villages are Capilerilla (not to be confused with Capileira in the Poqueira Gorge), Atalbeitar, Mecina, Mecinilla, Fondales and Ferreirola. Capilerilla is 1 km above Pitres and can be reached either by road or a footpath which continues up over the wooded hills and down to the Poqueira Gorge. It has no facilities apart from the public bar and restaurant in a mountain hotel that is not always open.

The other villages are situated below Pitres in the only Alpujarra valley that runs from west to east. This gives the entire area protection from northerly winds as well as plenty of sunshine: up to five hours of direct sunlight per day more than other villages in the high Alpujarra. Fondales, at the lowest altitude, is able to grow oranges.

It’s a heavenly little place hidden away at the end of a lane. Bowers of red roses garland streets that wind down to a path continuing to the “Roman” bridge (actually built in the 7th or 8th century) over the River Trevélez. The path joins up with another so that you can loop round to Ferreirola. Like Fondales and Atalbeitar, Ferreirola has no facilities aside from an occasional summer bar, and like both of them it is utterly peaceful settlement that appears to have changed little since Moorish times.

A Rustical Recommendation for a local activity here is to learn pottery or painting with a charming and expert teacher at studios in Fondales. We'll send you details together with other tips and local information with your booking confirmation.

An easy path leaves Ferreirola and passes by orchards and giant cacti on a route that takes you via a unique fizzy water fountain, under the shade of mature chestnuts, over streams turned red by ferrous minerals, to an area of spectacular views. You stand beneath the ruins of an ancient mosque on a promontory. Up the ravine are the distant Mines of the Oath.

The adventurous might want to climb up to these, while the less ambitious may prefer to circle round and return via Atalbeitar. A quiet road links all the lower villages of the Taha so that it’s easy to walk or drive from one to the other. The villages have fountains of clean, fresh spring water to slake thirsts, but those in need of something more substantial will be relieved to learn that Mecina and Mecinilla both have very good places to eat, simple but charming country bar-restaurants with good kitchens. Mecina also has a long-running and well-respected vegetarian restaurant run by a French chef.

Getting here:
By plane to Granada and hire car (1 hr 40 mins from the airport). By plane to Malaga and hire car (2 hrs 40 mins from the airport). There are also 3 buses a day from Granada bus station to Pitres, the last leaving at 4.30 pm.