Mountains of Andalucía

The Sierra Nevada, which forms part of the Penibaetic System, is spread across two provinces – Granada and Almería – with the highest peaks being in the western part in Granada. The Sierra Nevada National Park covers 85,883 hectares, making it the biggest national park in Spain. A further 89,966 hectares are designated natural park, and it has also been recognised as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. Sierra Nevada means “snow-capped mountains”, and the high peaks used to have a blanket of snow year-round, although now that’s only true from around November-June.

In the high peaks, metamorphic rocks like mica-schist, quartzite and marble dominate, whereas lower down you have limestone, dolomite and marble, as well as formations made of materials eroded from the higher peaks.

The highest peaks are Mulhacén (3,479 metres above sea level, making it the tallest mountain in mainland Spain), Veleta (3,396 m) and Alcazaba (3,369 m). At these high altitudes there can be significant snow cover from November to May, and the north side of Veleta is home to the Sierra Nevada ski station, which hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1996.

There is an incredible range of scenery on offer. As you climb up, lush river valleys and deciduous trees like poplars, oaks and chestnuts gradually give way to pine forests, and then shrubland. Finally, you reach a barren high mountain landscape with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. On a clear day, you can even see right across the Mediterranean to Morocco.

The Sierra Nevada is home to a very wide variety of animal species, but the ones you are most likely to encounter are ibex, lizards, butterflies and birds, including eagles and vultures.

Alpujarra

The Alpujarra region, which occupies the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada down towards the Mediterranean, is famous for its quaint villages that retain their Berber-inspired street layout and architecture.

The Sierra de la Contraviesa is a long ridge that that runs all the way along the Alpujarra, parallel to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada but around two thousand metres lower. The ridge has some fabulous vantage points with 360 degree views of the Sierra Nevada, Alpujarra, Sierra de Gádor and shimmering Mediterranean below.

Sierra de Huétor

Just north of the Sierra Nevada lies the Sierra de Huétor, a small limestone range which provides great views of the high peaks to its south. The valleys are forested with holm oak, pine, poplar and Portuguese oak, while the more exposed areas are typical Mediterranean shrubland.

The Sierra de Cazorla harbours the source of the River Guadalquivir, which flows west to the Atlantic. The Sierra de Segura is where the River Segura rises, before making its way down in the other direction to the Mediterranean in Murcia.

The terrain is steep and rugged, with deep valleys alternating with high ridges. The sides of the valleys are forested with pine and oak, which gives way to shrubland at higher altitudes. The highest peak is the 1,848 m Pico Gilillo, near the source of the Guadalquivir at the southern end of the park.

There are some great hikes in the natural park, as well as beautiful limestone pools where people come to cool off in summer. You’re quite likely to see ibex, fallow deer and red deer, as well as lots of birdlife, including eagles.

The Sierra Mágina is a beautiful limestone range in Jaén province, with interesting karst formations. The tallest peak is the 2,164 metre-high Pico Mágina, which offers 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside, including the Sierra Nevada to the south.

The mixed vegetation includes holm oak, Palestine oak, pine, broom, juniper, lentisk and typical Mediterranean shrubland. There are lots of birds, ranging from chaffinches to golden eagles, and you sometimes see rabbits and hares.

The Serranía de Ronda, which translates as the Ronda highlands, lies at the western end of the Penibaetic System, in the province of Málaga. The highest part in the east is known as the Sierra de las Nieves, which in 2021 became Spain’s newest national park. The very highest peak is La Torrecilla, which rises to 1,918 m above sea level.

Sierra de las Nieves means “mountains of the snows”, which refers to the fact that a small amount of snow used to be preserved there all through the summer in ice pits. People from the surrounding villages would collect it and use it to preserve food in the days before refrigerators. The Sierra Nevada also served this purpose for Granada, incidentally.

The high rainfall means that you get a lusher mix of vegetation than in other parts of Andalucía, including pinsapo (Spanish fir), willows, ferns, strawberry trees, carobs, cork oaks, poplars, holm oaks and ash trees.

The Sierra de Grazalema is a fantastic place to see birds of prey, and particularly the huge Griffon vulture, which can have a wingspan of up to 260 cm. You may also see ibex, fallow deer, red deer and hoopoes.

The Sierra de Grazalema and surrounding area is home to many picturesque “pueblos blancos” – white villages – including Grazalema, Zahara de la Sierra, El Bosque, Benaocaz and Setenil de las Bodegas. A fellow VoiceMap producer, Clive Muir, has an audio tour of Grazalema, where he has lived for many years.

The name Tejeda means “yew grove”, because yews were once common here, but now there is only one specimen left. Instead, the heavily eroded limestone and marble bedrock supports forests of Aleppo and black pine. At higher altitudes, you also find Pyrenean oaks and Spanish maples.

The terrain is steep and rugged, with long ridges interspersed with narrow valleys and gorges, including the one formed by the Rio Verde, famous for its dramatic waterfalls and crystal-clear rock pools. In summer, it is popular both with bathers and for canyoning. There is also an unusual rock formation consisting of petrified trees, where minerals in the water have replaced the organic materials.

The highest peak in the park is La Maroma (2,069 m), also referred to as Pico de la Tejeda, which offers great views down to the Mediterranean coastline, as well as across to the Sierra de las Nieves.

In the mountains, there are many white villages that retain vestiges of their medieval Muslim heritage. The foothills down towards the coast are wine country, where moscatel grapes are grown to produce sweet Malagan wine.

As you can guess from the name, the Sierras Subbéticas natural park in the south of Córdoba province forms part of the Subbaetic System. It has been recognised as a Global Geopark for its beautiful limestone landscapes with abundant ammonite fossils, sinkholes, canyons and caves.

La Tiñosa, in the southeastern part of the park, is the highest peak in the province of Córdoba. Although it is only 1,568 m high, it offers commanding views over the surrounding countryside.

Once covered in Mediterranean forest, significant parts of the Sierra Morena are now dedicated to agriculture, but the poor soil means that in general it cannot be used to cultivate crops. Instead, there is the characteristic “dehesa” – pasture land for cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, consisting of meadows with scattered holm oaks and occasional thickets of shrubs and bushes.

Where the native forest remains, numerous species of oak thrive on the granite, quartzite and slate bedrock, including holm oak, cork oak, Palestine oak, Portuguese oak and Pyrenean oak.