This area or Comarca encompases the upper part of a picturesque deep valley south of Granada city and west of the Sierra Nevada. This valley comprises many small tributaries that flow into the Embalse de Béznar. Within the valley or more correctly valleys are numerious small villages , which, in some cases, have less than 200 residents. These are tranquil and unspoilt destinations for nature and outdoor sports such as walking, hiking and fishing.
The most popular village in Sierra Nevada is well-known amongst snowsports enthusiasts: Monachil being the home of Europe’s southernmost ski resort and the only ski resort in Andalucía. However, the attraction of the villages in this area is not limited to snow, as the majority of the area is part of the Sierra Nevada National Park.
Found to the west of Granada, this area offers a landscape contrasting the red of the Hoya de Guadix with the green of the river valleys. Its most famous attraction is the Sierra Nevada National Park as well as the various cave-houses: some inhabited by residents and others converted into extremely popular tourist accommodation due to its peculiarity and individuality.
Whilst Granada is undoubtedly the most well-known destination, the villages to the north west of the city are extremely interesting in terms of history, culture and environment. Peligros has royal connections and Pinos Puente was the home of famous Spanish author Federico Garcia Lorca.
In the northern part of the Province of Granada is a vast plateau of flatlands surrounded by the highest peaks of the Bética Mountain Range reaching as high as the Sierra de la Sagre at a height of 2,381 meters. The overall plateau region is known as 'El Altiplano de Granada' and is a land of contrasts.
Leaving behind the impressive wooded Sierra de Huétor Natural Park, just a few kilometres east of Granada city, the terrain becomes increasingly dusty and desert-like. Guadix is located in this dry landscape and is unique for its extraordinary area of caves, where a surprisingly high number of the town's inhabitants still live.
Granada province is characterised by extreme variables in landscape and climate, to the extent that you can even ski in the mountains in the morning, and then go diving in the sea in the afternoon. When you've explored the magnificent city of Granada, with its majestic Alhambra palace, venture further afield: visit cave dwellings in a desolate desert-like area, climb the Iberian Peninsula's highest mountains, and lose yourself in the region's rich Moorish history and fortified palaces.
The area west of Granada was once a crucial frontier between the Moorish kingdom of Granada and the Christian territory. Today, it is now dotted some dramatically sited villages, on rocky crags or hills overlooking the fertile vega (plain). These villages still bear the stamp of their defensive past in their ruined fortifications in hilltop positions, with magnificent views over the olive groves and cereal fields of the undulating vega.
Cave hotels are found in Guadix where many of the inhabitants live underground, in cave houses. In the winter they are covered with snow and keep their warmth, providing delightful places to stay, often with their own fireplaces inside. In the summer, they keep cool and can provide great relief from the sun.
