Any feedback on visiting Las Alpujarras ? We've never been there but I understand that it is still quite authentically Spanish. Any particular place to go or things to see or do? My hiking abilities are limited although I should be able to do a few miles if the terrain is not too rough. Thanks! --CC

When are you thinking of going there? We spent a weekend in Bubión last summer. I don't have time now to share our experiences with you now, but will write again when I have more time. It is truly a step back in time and a wonderful place with no hustle and bustle.

When are you going there?
The weather can certainly be an influence on your stay.It's not a nice place to go in clouds, rain or dampness. In the sunlight...It's beautiful there but not much to do in my experience. I ventured there in hopes of getting away from the city life and enjoying a quiet weekend. In fact, my friends' parents from Spain recommend it with a chuckle from their children. THe chuckle from adults my age should have given me some hint. I was bored after one evening. Las alpujarras are beautiful and represent a piece of authentic Spain but be prepared to relax. I also found prices extremely high! Buena Suerte Debbie

I love it there. There's no particular thing to see, it's just the spectacular landscape, and the villages. It's true there's nothing much to do, you just have to like being in that kind of place, or enjoy hiking. Unlike Debbie (previous post) I've always found it very good value, at least for accommodation and food. But my wife always seems to know where to go, so maybe my experience is not typical.

As a rough guide, the western Alpujarra (Granada)is more visited (in particular the Poqueira gorge)than the east (in Almeria).

If you want to know something of the history and culture of the area I recommend Gerald Brenan's "South of Granada".

We'll be going in May--approximately the middle of the month or so.

Could Boqueron give us some hints on "good value" hostales or restaurantes? --CC

A TA at Ohio State who is from Spain told us about La Alpujarra. Knowing that we liked wilderness type country, he thought it was a must for us to see.

We drove from Málaga to Lanjarón. It was a pleasant looking town, but was full of tourist buses so we did not stay. Our next stop was Pampaneira. We had a midday meal and explored the small shops there. The shops had ceramics, handmade rugs, goat cheese, and turón. A man was selling bread that was still warm from the oven from the back of his car in the tiny plaza. We continued up the mountain to Bubión and Capileira. Walking is the ONLY thing to do in these tiny villages.

We spent two nights in Bubión in a three bedroom flat that had an absolutely gorgeous view of the entire valley. There was a babbling brook which past nearby and the only other noise we heard were chickens and a dog. Finally, no motos!!! The flat cost 9€ per person/night and the lady apologized for the 'high' cost. She had to charge us a bit more since we were only staying 2 nights. I was there with my two kids....we could not believe that it was only 27€/night!!!!

We found it through our host family in Málaga. Their older son regularly spends time there with his girlfriend. When we shared our plans to go there for the weekend, he called this lady and set up our stay. When we arrived in Bubión we had to ask for the casa de Concha. Once we found her house, she took us to the apartment.
Our OSU friend also stayed there for a few days last summer.

We had a wonderful dinner in the only restaurant open in town. I had the fresh trout in a ham sauce that was great!!! The kids had chicken dishes that were also good.

There is absolutely nothing to do there except hike, read, and rest. I loved it, but my teenage daughter quickly became restless. We had planned to meander to Travélez, but the kids vetoed that part of the trip. There are occasionally small ceramic shops along the very narrow and windy road, but we were not lucky enough to find one open.

The hiking is steep and mountainous. You can get good information from a national park type office in Pampaneira.

There was a horse tied outside of the little bar in the village. My son remarked that he now understood the true meaning of a one-horse town. I would return in a heart beat!!

We had been warned by our friends in the US and again by our host family that the Spanish spoken in this area can be challenging for even a Spaniard. Their pronunciation of everything is a bit different.

If you like out of the way spots, this one is great. Hope you find time to go there!!

Carole - I'm afraid my experience is rather like Sel's. My wife is Spanish and lived in Granada for 7 years. On the trips we've made there, she has either stayed in some place before, or had a recommendation. Each time we have had an apartment, but from outside I would never have guessed the place was for rent. You have to go and find someone's house, who has the key etc.

I guess this is not much use, but you could trust to luck and try asking (in a bar or shop for instance, and maybe there are tourist information centres - try Lanjaron). For instance, Capileira (the highest village in the Poqueira gorge, where the villages Sel mentions are), has this type of apartment, but also has some clearly marked accommodation as well.

As for food, well, we just eat in any bar/meson where local people seem to congregate, though some places do seem to have more "upmarket" (that's relative) restaurants as well. You can get a clay jug of the local red wine for a few euros. For me that makes any meal good value!

Our original plan had been to go there without any prior arrangement and try to find a room. It was a rather bold plan for me because my Spanish is not very good and I had my kids with me. I figured that the worst that would happen is that the weekend would become a day trip and we would have to return to Málaga. There are websites with rental places and there is a nice, pricey hotel with a garden in Bubión. I will try to find its name for you. Our adventure would not have been the same if everything had been so easy!!

Would Bubion be "the" place to stay? Could we play this by ear? (I'm not very good at that as we waste a lot of time if we don't have reservations in advance.)

Sel and El Boqueron--your experiences sound warm and intimate. We will be looking for a couple of days of peace and quiet. The babbling brook, mountain views, an opportunity to interact with the locals. And, a jug of inexpensive vino makes any trip worthwhile!!--CC

P.S. If you can recommend the flat or have any name in mind, it would be helpful. Otherwise I'll probably choose from one of the guide books.

It is definately a 'play it by ear' type of place. You are probably better off not having reservations. It is a safe place to go and see what you can find once you are there. Once in Bubión, you need do ask "¿Donda está la casa de Concha?" to find our lady. She lives on the main drag about 3 houses past the Rustic Blue real estate office, on the right side of the street as you are entering the town from below. My friend just showed up and used her place. If that one is rented, she will probably have a suggestion where else to stay. This is not a busy place!!

View it as an adventure. There are numerous tiny towns and uncharted places to stay. I usually suffer from the need to have everything prearranged and safely confirmed, but I do not think it is important here. You are not that far away from a big city if all else fails. The trip would still have been a step back in time even if you had to continue on to the next town.

I consider it to be a safe risk and I am habitually, overly cautious.