Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Mulhacén, Veleta, and Alcazaba. Also, be sure to include Pico del Caballo in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Sierra Nevada National Park (Andalusia).
Table of Contents
Mulhacén
Iconic peak with hiking and distant views. Mulhacén, with an elevation of 3,479 metres, is the highest mountain in peninsular Spain and in all of the Iberian Peninsula. It is part of the Sierra Nevada range in the Cordillera Penibética. It is named after Abu l-Hasan Ali, known as Muley Hacén in Spanish, the penultimate Muslim King of Granada in the 15th century who, according to legend, was buried on the summit of the mountain.
Mulhacén is the highest peak in Western Europe outside of the Alps. It is also the third-most topographically prominent peak in Western Europe, after Mont Blanc and Mount Etna, and is ranked 64th in the world by prominence. The peak is not exceptionally dramatic in terms of steepness or local relief. The south flank of the mountain is gentle and presents no technical challenge, as is the case for the long west ridge. The shorter, somewhat steeper northeast ridge is slightly more technical. The north face of the mountain is much steeper and offers several routes involving moderately steep climbing on snow and ice (up to French grade AD) in the winter.
Mulhacén can be climbed in a single day from the villages of either Capileira or Trevélez, but it is more common to spend a night at the mountain refuge at Poqueira, or in the bare shelter at Caldera to the west. Those making the ascent from Trevélez can also bivouac at the tarns to the northeast of the peak.[1]
Veleta
Prominent mountain with a ski resort. Veleta or Pico del Veleta is the second highest peak of the Iberian peninsula and the Sierra Nevada. Its height is given variously as 3,394 metres, 3,396 metres and 3,398 metres.
The mountain can be seen from the city of Granada. Veleta's northern slopes are home to the Sierra Nevada Ski Station. The access road that takes one to approximately 10 metres below the summit is the highest paved road in Europe across the mountains from Granada to the western Alpujarras. This road was built before the creation of the Sierra Nevada National Park in 1999. It has since been closed to general traffic beyond Hoya de la Mora, just above the ski station. However, the road is still used by ski station employees, national park rangers, observatory staff, cyclists and walkers, and a microbus service also takes hikers up to Posiciones del Veleta, a viewpoint 3,100 metres above sea level. In summer it is a relatively easy walk up to the summit from there.
The Corral de la Veleta or Corral del Veleta glacier, at 37° N the southernmost glacier in Europe, disappeared in 1913.
The IRAM 30m telescope is located on the slopes of Pico Veleta, at an elevation of 2920 m.[2]
Alcazaba
Mountain offering hiking and climbing. The Alcazaba mountain is a mountain in Spain. Standing at 3,371 metres, it is the third highest mountain of the Sierra Nevada range and the fifth in the Iberian Peninsula. The impressive north face can be seen from the town of Granada. The name Alcazaba derives from the word fortification in Arabic.[3]
Pico del Caballo
Mountain in Spain. Pico del Caballo, Cerro del Caballo or simply Caballo is 3,011 m high mountain in the Sierra Nevada, Spain. It is the westernmost three thousander of the range.[4]
Penibaetic System
Also known as: Cordillera Penibética
Expansive mountain range with trails. The Penibaetic System is the southernmost of the three systems of mountain ranges of the Baetic System in the southern Iberian Peninsula. It includes the highest point in the peninsula, 3,478 m high Mulhacén in the Sierra Nevada.[5]