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Region - Sierra Nevada
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The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Southern Spain. In 1999 this massif was declared a National Park. The protected zone extends 90 kilometers east-westwards and 30 kilometers north-southwards.The Sierra Nevada contains over twenty peaks that rise above the 3,000 meter level, amongst which the Mulhacén, ( 3,479 m) the highest peak of Spanish mainland. The highest peaks are covered with snow for many months of the year.
Sierra Nevada is a magnificent natural fortress that constitutes a world to discover. Various studies confirm Pleistocenic glacier activity in this mountain range and some glacial valleys and cirques still remain from the ice age. The majority of the 42 tarns that exist in the Natural Park are situated in the Trevélez River basin like the Laguna Hondera the lowest of the Siete Lagunas. The sources of rivers can be ´rapids´ like the Chorreras Negras. Another example is a spectacular cascade that feeds the Bermejo River above Pórtugos. Agriculture and cattle-raising have been the most important sources of income for the people in this area. The expulsion of the Moors towards the end of the 16th century led to the arrival of thousands of Christian families who established cultivation patterns involving indiscriminate tree-felling to adapt fields for extensive farming. Ruins of stables, cabins and threshing circles show where people used to farm, being la Campiñuela at 2,400 metres the highest mountain ´cortijo´ in the Sierra Nevada. Popular ways to enjoy the beauty of Sierra Nevada are on foot, mountain biking or horse riding. The ´pista alta´ at about 2,000 metres, makes it possible to discover part of this mountain range by car, although in winter a four wheel drive might be necessary to drive on this high track.In summer time a bus service from Capileira takes visitors to the Puerto Molina and Mirador de Trevélez at 2,722 meters height.There are information points in Pampaneira and on the Puerta de la Ragua.
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Rural El Paraje: walking holidays in Berchules - de Alpujarras - Sierra Nevada -
Andalusia - Spain |