SIERRA NEVADA NATIONAL PARK


It was the last established spanish National Park (in 1955). The park has an area of 86.208 hectares and includes more than 40 towns in the provinces of Granada and Almería. Sierra Nevada is the principal mountain area of the mighty Cordillera Bética range which stretches across south-eastern Spain from Gibraltar to Alicante. Here, more than a dozen peaks over 3,000 metres break the skyline, including the two highest on the Spanish mainland, Mulhacén (3,482 metres) and Veleta (3,398 metres). The Park has been classified as a National Hunting Reserve since 1966, as well as a Biosphere Reserve.

The Sierra Nevada is closely linked to the history of the Spanish Moors, whose final retreat before their definitive expulsion was on the southern flanks of the range, in the region known as the Alpujarra.

Plants in the Sierra Nevada region include many types of lichen and rock flowers indigenous to the area (of the 2,000 species catalogued, over 15 percent are nationally endemic and nearly 100 are exclusive to the area), as well as varieties of fissure plants; on the winding road up to "Sol y Nieve" (Europe's southernmost ski resort) there are pine plantations. This Park is also the southernmost habitat of certain arctic-alpine plants.

Bird watchers who intend to seek out the largest and rarest birds in the world will be scanning the horizon with binoculars when they realise that one of the most common large birds in this area is the now protected Golden Eagle. Other hunters on this list include peregrine falcons and kestrels, which make their nests here. On the peaks there are also african vultures. 

The lord of these mountains in Andalucia as well as the most numerous specie of mammal is the spanish mountain goat, which is so happy with the environment that it's in danger of overpopulating the area and has to be culled.

At 2,100 metres above sea level lies the Sierra Nevada's popular winter sports resort, accessible by road from Granada. The same road continues past the resort as far as the peak of Veleta, justifiably earning its title as the highest road in Europe. Naturally this is only accessible in summer.

How to reach the Park

From Granada, the south side is reached by following the N-323 (Granada-Motril) as far as the crossroad to Lanjaron (44 km). The Park is reached after passing through this village, continuing to Alpujarras. From this road several secondary roads lead to other little villages sited in the south face of the National Park.

Also from Granada the Park is reached by following the road as far as "Sol y Nieve", the Sierra Nevada's winter sports resort. This road continues past the resort as far as the peak of Veleta. A Reception Centre is located in "El Dornajo" (km 23).

The north side is reached by following the dual carriageway A-92 as far as Guadix and Tabernas (Almería). From this road several secondary roads lead to other places sited in the north face of the National Park.

Advice of interest to visitors

  • Access to the park is free and visit can be guided or unguided. It is possible to camp previous notification to the park´s office where they supply suggested routes.
  • There is a direct road as far as "Sol y Nieve" winter sports resort and the peak of Veleta. This area is especially affected by human presence, and special care should be taken to keep it clean.
  • Each area of the Park has very individual features. All of them deserve to be visited, each for its own particular characteristics.
  • The row of peaks reaching higher than 3,000 metres. These areas should be visited on foot when the snow has disappeared. In winter, it is dangerous to visit the mountains without a climbing party and mountaineering equipment. There is danger of snow avalanches in the spring.
  • The best time of the year for a visit is the spring or the beginning of autumn.
  • There are several refuge huts inside the Park as well as camping facilities.
  • A good mountaineering shoes, a pair of binoculars and a camera should be part of the visitor's equipment.

The high mountains are one of the most unspoilt habitats in the peninsula. They are the refuge of animals and plants which are used to a harsh environment and must be protected at all costs. It´s visitor's obligation to conserve and protect them since nature is a heritage of mankind, of the present as well as of future generations.

For full details on the Spanish National Parks (services, towns, hotels, adventure, maps, etc.), please look under "Parques Nacionales" at the website:
http://www.parquesnaturales.com (spanish only)