LA ALPUJARRA

La Alpujarra is the name given to the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain. With the highest peak (Mulhacen) at just under 3,500 metres, and the coast not very far away, the whole area slopes sharply downhill. The white-washed villages have to cling to the hillsides, and there are a number of spa towns around. Lanjaron, the gateway to the area, is the name of a well-known brand of bottled water, that is made from the snowmelt off the mountains.

We visited Pampaneira and Capileira, two villages in the Poqueira valley. The road up to the latter at 1,440 metres is brand-new, but it is still a fairly hairy drive through the hairpin bends. Many of the inhabitants live by making leatherware and pottery, so it is a good place for idle browsing. It was hot, hot, hot when we were there, so we didn't have the energy for much more.

Capileira is the jump-off place for people wishing to climb Mulhacen. You could easily see the top against a clear-blue sky, and there was still a lot of snow on the peak, despite its being mid-July. I love my annual walking tour in the Lake District. But I also fancy a couple of days' walking in the Sierra Nevada, relaxing afterwards with sangria and paella instead of Black Sheep bitter and roast lamb.

Walter Blotscher