Las Alpujarras on the GR7

Highlights:

Whitewashed hilltop villages
Gorges, ravines and valleys
Sierra Nevada mountain backdrop
Moorish and Berber legacy

Brief:

⏱ Duration: 5 Days
🗺 Distance: 70 km
⛰ Difficulty: Moderate
🗓 Best Time: Mar-Jun; Aug-Nov
🛏 Accomm: Hotels; guesthouses

Walk Overview

If you’ve had some exposure to multi-day walking in Europe, you’re probably aware of the “GR” footpaths. These are long distance trails covering premier walking terrain. The GR networks are most extensive in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In Spain, the GR stands for “gran recorridos”, which translates, evocatively, to “great tours”.

The first GR to be established in Spain was the GR7 which extends for 1900 kilometres from Tarif (Spain’s southern most point) to the Pyrenees. Early in its epic journey, the GR7 passes through the heart of the Alpujarras, providing wonderful opportunities for multi-day walks of three to six (or more) days.

Las Alpujarras is a region in Andalucia. It’s about 50 kilometres south of Granada and only 50 kilometres north of the Mediterranean coast. The region is situated on the southern slopes of Spain’s highest mountain range, the remarkable Sierra Nevada. These mountains, within viewing distance of the busy Costa del Sol, are perpetually snow-capped and produce ice-melt rivers and lush valley countryside.

The walk we’ve chosen starts in the pretty village of Juviles in the eastern portion of the Alpujarras and traverses the Alpujarres on the GR7 in a westerly direction for about 70 kilometres. It finishes in Lanjaron, known as the gateway to the Alpujarras. Buses serve most of the villages that the walk passes through so the walk can be shortened readily.

Assistance and further information:

For assistance in walking in Las Alpujarras, click the button below:

Las Alpujarras Assistance

For information on other walks in southern Spain, click the button below:

South Spain

See below for a description of a five day walking trip in Las Alpujarras.

Sample five day itinerary

The walk takes about 5 days, which includes an additional day off the GR7 (Day 4) as some of the best walking in the Alpujarras is on this detour. The walk can be made quite a bit easier by omitting the last day and finishing at Pampaneira.