Travelling south from Granada in the 7th Century the Moors reached a vast, fertile
valley encompassed within a bowl of mountains. The land had everything they prized
- good earth, free-flowing rivers and the natural fortification of the sierras.
Captivated by its beauty, they named it El Valle de Lecrín - the Valley of Happiness.
This land, which inspired and sustained them, and the seventeen villages they
founded, remains for you to discover.
The
snow-capped Sierra Nevada rises steeply to the east; the sierras of Albuñelas
and Guájaras form its western boundary. To the south, Sierra Lujar guards the
pass through to the Mediterranean Sea. Between these mountains lies a gentle land
- of rolling countryside, rich with orange and lemon groves, almonds, olives and
grape vines - and timeless, sleepy villages where sheep and goats are herded through
narrow streets; where the mule is still a prized possession.
A far cry from the Twentieth Century, perhaps, yet it is only
twenty-five minutes from the centre of Granada. In the opposite direction the Costa Tropical
is equally close at hand. Within 40 minutes you can be skiing on the Sierra Nevada
slopes. And the high mountain villages of la Alpujarra are less than an hour away.
It is a splendid location.
Yet
why leave with so much on offer right here? Excellent walking country, whether
its a slow stroll through the orchards, a climb up to one of the Arab castles
or a more energetic hike into the mountains. Sit by the river and watch the world
pass slowly by. Stop at a dusty roadside inn replete with callous-handed farmers
banging down their glasses of local wine, earnestly debating the best way to grow
a pumpkin. As always it is the small, unlooked-for details which bring a holiday
to life. El Valle will not disappoint you.
 |
 |
Travelling from Granada, the last view of the city before descending into the
Valle de Lecrín is from Suspiro del Moro ("The Pass of the Moor's Sigh"). It is
here that Boabdil, the last King of the Nazrids, having signed the Declaration
of Surrender after capitulating to the Catholic Monarchs, turned towards Granada
for the last time and broke down in tears at the loss of his beloved city. His
mother is reputed to have said to him: "Weep then like a woman, over that which
you could not defend like a man".
In the years that followed, and particularly during the Morisco Uprising, El Valle
was fought over tooth and nail. It was the only southern access route from the
city and the only point of entry into the Western Alpujarra (across the famous
and strategically vital Tablate bridge at the southern end of the valley). Many
of the villages were devastated and left depopulated following massacres by both
sides, as they battled for supremacy.
The
ruins of several Arab castles and forts still survive. Perhaps the most famous
is Lecrín Castle where the kings and queens of Granada were buried. It is believed
that the last burial was of Moraima, the wife of Boabdil, who died in Cádiar as
they were preparing to leave for exile in Africa.
