Lecrin Valley

Introduction.

The Lecrin Valley occupies a privileged position, one of the treasures of the province bordered by the Vega de Granada to the north, the Sierra Nevada and Alpujarras to the East, the Costa Trpoical to the south and the Temple to the West.

Climatically it is protected by the Sierra Nevada from the cold winds from the North.

Geographically its position is enviable and unequalled, and is a place to stay in and relax, or to use as a stepping off point for all that the province of Granada has to offer, from Malaga to Almeria. Its strategic situation offers many places of interest which can be got to in a manner on minutes, within very few kilometres on good roads. Places to see are the snows of the Sierra Nevada ski station and the exotic fruits of the Costa Tropical.

It has very easy access by way of the N-323 motorway and the A-4, which connect Granada city with the Costa Tropical, or the N-340 which connect malaga and Almeria with Granada.

The area has much to offer tourists and visitors, excellent walking, local artisans and tapas bars.

The locals are open and freindly and like the fact that their villages are attracting visitors from other lands. The local councils are always trying to improve things but are very concious of their culture and history.

After the countryside, water is one of the apects of major interest such as the lagoon in Padul, the Rio Durcal or the nartural springs of Albuñuelas. The walking is very good in the area and it is a strategic jumping off point for routes such as the GR-7 which runs from Athens to Tarifa, as well as the Sulayr in the Sierra Nevada. Also there is the "Route of the Mills" which shows the importance given to these historic sites which for years had been abandoned but now are being restored and provide an attractive addition to the Valley.

As you travel through the Valley you will see many signs for places of interest, such as Roman or Arab baths, ruined castles, ancient olive mills or churches of interest.

Of course, there are various pamphlets and other literature which can be picked up from ur office to help you enjoy the area.

www.mancomunidadvalledelecrin.com

History.

Historically the Lecrin Valley has always been a place that had to passed through on the way from the capital to the coast or the Alpujarras, but the communications have become much simpler since the beginning of the 20th century.eh coast to

The area has been populated since Paleolithic times and has been the site of famous battles like that of the Puente Tablate in the 8th century with the Alpujarran Visigoths holding the Islamic invaders; that of Velez in 823AD where Abdulrahman II massacred the Christian Mozarabe population and again in Puente Tablate in 1566 during the war against the Moors, when the Christians confined the Moorish resistance to the eastern Alpujarras.

The Lecrin Valley has many archaeological remains and monuments. There are Paleolithic and Neolithic remains in caves close to Cozvijar and in Durcal, Iberico remains in Padul, and Iberico remains in Padul, Cozvíjar, Murchas and Vélez.

There are Roman remains in Padul (quarries for mill-stones, etc) Conchar (aquaduct, roads), Murchas (fortified houses and aquaduct, Tablate, (road), Restabal, Velez and Durcal (sites where there are fountains). In Mondujar they have recently discovered a Roman baths with elaborate mosaics.

But the Lecrin Valley is really know for its Moslim past, as attested by the numerous remains from this epoch, even if they haven´t been as well preserved as they could have been.

During the Islamic domination there appear references to Al Iqlim (a district or zone ands from which is derived the name Lecrin") This was an area of small agricultural villages protected by fortifications such as the castles at Murchas, Mondujar and Restabal; the Bayo tower in Albuñuelas and the watchtowers of Conchar and Marchal.

But without doubt the most important event of this epoch was the agricultural revolution which saw the creation of acequias for irrigatio and the terracing of land to improve the yield. The acequias of this time are authentic engineering works, using the minimum inclination possible to allow the water to be moved over long distances and thereby allowing the land of the vega and the valleys to be irrigated. The original system still functions to this day.

Today the agriculture of the countryside is well preserved and maintains much of the traditional crops (citrus, almonds and olives) and continues to use the network of acequias an roads, at times of Roman origen but mostly medieval with some modern adoptations.

After the arrival of the Christians, the Valley was the setting for rebellions of the Moriscos that moved to the Alpujarras under the command of such as Ibn Hamaya who held the road from Granada as far as Padul.

Don Juan of Austria destroyed the last attempts of the Moriscos to retake Granada. From this time we have tradfitions such as the arcabuceros of Beznar, or the numerous followers of San Sebastian in many villages. After the final expulsion of the Moriscos, the Valley suffered a severe depopulation which took centuries to recover.

The mosques were recycled as churches (the church of Chite still has a minaret nearly wholly intact) and Mudejar chruches began to appear in the Valley, but the land remained virtually unchanged.

On Christmas Day of 1884 an earthquake struck the valley and destroyed a great number of houses, Particularly affected were Murchas and Albuñuelas, where ou can still se some houses with damage sustained as a consequence of the quake.

At the beginning of the 20th century the problem of commucication between Granada and the coast began to be solved. The road was repaired, the tram from Durcal, the longest cable car in Europe joining Durcal with the port of Motril. A rise in the amountof industrial projects such as the manufacture of pasta, dried hams, fizzy drinks and bricks, but the Valley never realised its industrial potential, mainly because of the eternal problem of communication which it had always had, in spite of it closeness to the coast and Granada city.

Now, after depopulation of the Valley in the 1960's and 70's caused by workers from the Valley emigrating to look for work, many of those workers have returned to the villages, but the smallest villages have been in serious danger of disappearing. (In fact, Tablate is now a phantom village and its church has been bricked up.)

Thanks to careful preservation many villages retain the charm of the old way of life. Try a walk through the lower barrio of Albuñuelas or through Saleres or Izbor to step back in time 50 years, and see streets that were constructed for the transit of animals and people and not for mechanical vehicles.

 

 

 

Gastronomy.

The food of the Lecrin Valley is an excellent example of Mediterranean cooking; wheat semolina, kid with garlic, stews, soups, beans with cod, and a variety of sweet desserts.

More local dishes are in Albuñuelas; pork potage, crab casserole, diced peppers and tomatoes, rabbit and goats cheese. In Beznar and Izbor; pestiños.

The dishes most typical of the area are remojón, a mixture of orange, onion, salt cod and black olives; or puchero de hinojos, a fennel-leaf based bean stew.

Another favourite is the local wine, mosto.

 

Villages of the Lecrin Valley.

Albuñuelas.

Immersed in the mountains of the same name, Albuñuelas can be found to the extreme west of the Lecrin Valley. The village has three distinct barrios, the lower, the upper and La Loma. It is medieval in origin and has many picturescue streets and hidden corners. It was recorded in the 10th and 11th centuries by Al Idrisi, the first Muslim geographer on his journey from Granada to the Southern Sahara. It is situated above the Rio Santo and has spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra de Albuñuelas and the Sierras Guájares. There are two supermarkets on the road from the lower to the upper barrio and another in the upper barrio. They are not large but have all that is needed to eat well, including fresh meat and vegetables. There is a bakery in the upper barrio and several bakers drive around the village during the mornings selling their wares. There is also a minivan with fish driving around most mornings and a coupe of ttimes a week a fruit and Vegetable minivan.

Gas is bottled and is delivered once a weekby both Repsol (orange cylinders) on Wednesdays and Cepsa (aluminium cylinders) on Fridays. There is a chemist and a medical consulting room near the school on the main road.

There are terrific places for walking, either by dropping into the gorge of Albuñuelas or by following the GR-7 which arrives from from Saleres in Calle Mojon in the lower barrio. For those who like walking in the hills, the Sierra Albuñuelas is a fantastic area, abundantly green and rightly earning its name of "The lung of the Lecrin Valley." It is covered in rich vegetation, with pine forests and all types of wild flora, aromatic and medicinal plants.

There are places where the visitor can enjoy the marvellous views, such as el Castillo from where you see all three barrios. You can walk through woods of pine or hundred-year old olives which spread across the countryside with valleys leading to the Rio Santo. With such an abundance of water the area has a rich and varied fauna as well as flora. There are partridges, doves, blackbirds, badgers, rabbits, wild boar, deer and mountain goats.....

If you need any more information we have it in the Viasur office.

From the age immediately before the reconquest, there is a tower in the upper barrio built in the 16th century. There is also a variety of places of historical interest such as the parish church, the hermitage of San Antonio, the old archbishop´s palace (17th and 18th century) and the Capuchino monastery. There are also old lead, nickel and cobalt mines in the area.

Dúrcal.

This is the biggest village in the valley and is worth a visit. It has a variety of supermarkets and many shops of different types such as fishmongers, butchers, bakers and pastry shops, as well as haberdashers, furniture, clothes, things for the home, fruit and vegetables. There are also frozen food shops, two chemists and a cinema that opens at the weekends. In summer the showings take place in the open air. There are also numerous bars and restaurants. Parking can be difficult at times and it is often easier to park on the outskirts and walk into the centre.

Its name is derived from the arabic Quasb, possibly in reference to the cultivation of cane sugar, although now this has been replaced with orange, olive, almond and lemon groves. After the reconquest by the Catholic Kings, Durcal was the departure point for numerous families that left Andalucia for North Africa, fleeing from Christian pressure of being expelled.

In the 19th century, an aerial cableway of 38 kilometres long from Durcal to Motril was built to carry ore and other produce to the coast, but it was dismantled in 1958. There was also an iron bridge built for the railway that never arrived.

The church of the Immaculate Conception was built in the 16th century as was the hermitage to San Blas. There are the remains of an Arabic fort in the area of Peñon de los Moros as well as an Arab baths. The baths are said to have medicinal properties. There are rumoured to be tunnels leading from the castle to the baths, to be used in times of siege.

On the night of Easter Saturday, the youths of the area flirt with the local girls until sunrise when a dummy representing Judas Escariot is hurled from the iron bridge to symbolize the casting out of evil. On the Day of Resurrection the families go into the fields to meet with friends and eat food cooked in traditional ovens. Afterwards the statue of San Blas is carried from the hermitage to the church in procession.

www.adurcal.com

El Pinar.

Although there are indications that the area was populated long before the Islamic domination, it is clear that during the latter period it was renamed as shown by the name Izbor, which is clearly of Arabic origin.

Izbor is situated in the middle of the Lecrin Valley, on the road to the coast and the quality of its agricultural produce meant it played an important role in supplying Granada. It also starred in the uprising of the Moors in the 16th century when almost all its inhabitants were expelled for being followers of Aben Humeya.

Now it has come under the new Andalucian administration and is lumped together with other enclaves such as Tablate and Acebuches under the Ayuntamiento of Pinos del Valle.

Pinos del Valle.

Pinos has a strategic position above the lake of Beznar and with easy access to the motorway.

It has two barrios, each with an ancient church. There is a good bakery near to the church in the upper barrio and a supermarket in the church square which butchers its own meat and which is open on Sundays. The lower barrio has a chemist and a bakers.

There is a secondary road from Pinos to Motril with excellent views. The drive is spectacular and from the now abandoned Venta de la Cebada and its Moorish tower one can see the Mediterranean on one side and the Lecrin valley on the other.

Izbor.

On the banks of the Rio Izbor, (once known as the Rio Grande.)

It clings to the mountain side with typicl narrow Alpujarran streets adapted to the terrain.

The centre is only passable to pedestrians and has many hidden corners and cul-de-sacs. There are many hidden patios fullof local flowers. There are two bars and a shop.

Su localización y su tipismo anuncian la proximidad alpujarreña., de calles estrechas y adaptadas a su agreste suelo.

El Valle.

El Valle is the Ayuntamiento covering Melegís, Restábal and Saleres.

Although the first written referencesto the area were during the Muslim epoch, settlement nust have been long before this time because of the fertility of the soil and the abundance of water.

The Moors developed the irrigation system, parts of which can still be seen. At one time silk worms were abundant in the area. Families began to arrive until ther population reached six thousand. After the arrival of the Catholic Kings and more specifically the expulsion of the Moors, the agriculture and production of the region suffered badly.

In the 19th century the lack of infrastructure forced a massive emigration, depleting the population once again.

www.elvalle.es

Melegís.

Melegís is situated on the left side of the rio Torrente and is surrounded by orange and lemon groves. It sits at 553m altitude and the population are mainly involved in agriculture. It has a spring of curative waters close to the lake.

In the 15th century it was for a short while the seat of the Granadino Court before the area suffered the wars of the uprising.

In the 18th century important noble families and those with political influence installed themselves here, building fine houses, many of which can be seen to this day displaying their coats of arms on their exterior walls.

There are two small supermarkets in the village and two bakeries (one on the main road). There are two bar/restaurants within easy walking distance, both on the main road: Los Naranjos is on the lower side of the village and has a very pleasant outside terrace with lovely views and La Puerta del Valle on the opposite side of the road further up the hill, which also has a large outside terrace. Both serve good quality local food and very good tapas.

Melegís is interesting to walk around; it has some imposing buildings, a lovely church and is characterised by the number of huertos or orchards within the village itself. Below the village is a maze of small lanes through the orange groves and it is possible to find a ruined Moorish castle at the entrance to the gorge on the Rio Dúrcal.

Good walking here and up into the hills. If you want some help, you should contact us for an accompanied walk or buy one of the local walks available from the office.

The Viasur office is located near the church. The Tabacos near the office sells postage stamps..

Restabal.

Is situated next to the confluence of the Rios Santo and Durcal, at the foot of the cerro de los Canjorros at 538m altitude. The population is primarily dedicated to agriculture such as olives, almonds, orange, lemon and various vegetables.

A Covirán supermarket and the supermarket of María-Jesús, as well as the Bar/Restaurant Jovi can be found in the area to the left of the main road as you travel in the direction of Pinos del Valle, beyond the main square past the bank, farmacia (Pharmacy) and town hall. Take the last turning left downhill. Excellent walks down to the lake of Beznar and up into the hills. Restábal has the remains of an Arab castle. Stunning views across the lake from the road to Pinos.

The views above the Beznar lake on the road to Pinos are well worth viewing.

Saleres.

Is probably the most picturesque of all the villages and still maintains its Moorish charm with it narrow streets and friendly people.

The village has no shops or bars, although local traders set up stalls on a regular basis at the entrance to the village.

Local bakeries deliver bread each day.

The church is highlighted in guide books as worthy of a visit and it is a good place to start walks into the surrounding hills or to the other villages in the Valley.

Lecrín.

Lecrín is the Ayuntamiento that covers the villages of Talará, Mondújar, Murchas, Acequias, Chite and Beznar.

The main nucleus is made up of Mondujar and Talara and it is here that you can find most services such as banks, chemist, bakers, butchers and small supermarkets as well as bars and restaurants.

Acequias.

This is a very small, pretty village, close to the Sierra Nevada and nestling on the side of the Rio Torrente. It has no supermarkets or bars.

There is an old Arab mill at the top of the village and it is possible to walk up into the hills from here. There are daily deliveries of bread and there is a small travelling supermarket which visits the village several times a week.

Béznar.

Situated on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and with a dam and lake to its foot, it is divided into three barrios and sits at an altitude of 536m. It is close to the motorway and the main occupation of the population is agriculture.

It has an important past, in particular during the Moorish uprising in the 16th century when it was used as a base for operations against the uprisers.

The recent construction of the dam has made a great difference to the area with lovely views across the water now possible.

El Chite.

The village has one small shop. It has a fascinating antiques and bric-a-brac shop called Camel Stop in Calle Carniceria, which is run by an English artist. The nearest bars and restaurants are in Talara, 15mins walk away.

There are some interesting walks around the village, both upper and lower – and a stunning drive down towards the lake.

The village is within walking distance of Lecrín.

Mondújar.

Is situated close to the motorway from Bailen to Motril and to the western side of the Sierra Nevada.

Historically Mondujar owes its importance to its medieval castle which has now all but disappeared. It was the scene of the death of the second to last king of the Nazari dynasty, Mulay Hacen, and was later used by king Boabdil when he left Granada city for the Alpujarras after the arrival of the Catholic Kings.

It has two barrios, the church barrio, the oldest part, and the new barrio.

It stands at 738m of altitud, a little above Talara.

 

Murchas.

This small village, just off the main road down the valley, has a small supermarket and excellent bakery just off the main square.

There is a small resident’s association bar, but it is only a two minute drive or ten minute walk to Lecrín.

It is possible to do some good walks through the olive and citrus groves down to Melegís and to the Arab castle. Part of the European walking route GR7 runs through Murchas to the Alpujarras.

Talará.

There are banks, shops, pharmacy, restaurants and bars in Lecrín, as well as a small post office.

There are two or three Covirán supermarkets where you can buy most things and Bar Garvi on the corner serves good local food.

There are a few discos and small nightclubs here. Not the prettiest part of the valley, it is nevertheless the place where you can get almost anything you need.

The closest ATM’s are here and there is a small ferreteria should you need any hardware whilst you are here..

Padul.

Can be found only 13 kilometres from Granada. It is a large village with just about everything one could need.

The name comes from the Latin Palus-dis, which means lagoon or a wet place undoubtedly because there was an important lagoon next to the village which was drained in the 18th century to convert it into a fertile plain. The mors called it Al Badul and they made the area very prosperous as much for its produce as for its silk and olive mills. Although the traditional work of the aea was agricultural, the need for construction materials has led to the development of many quarries in the area.

The remains of a necropolis and some relics from the 3rd century BC in the Cortijo de la Cuesta as well as numerous wheel tracks indicate that this was part of the Roman Empire and probably a connecting route to the town of Sexi (Almuñecar) on the coast. But the finds of arrow heads and other artifacts indicate that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

In the area of La Laguna there are still drainage channels to be seen. The particular type of peat here has gifted up the remains of many prehistoric animals.

Traditions remaining to this day are the collecting of firewood on the night of 19th of January to warm San Sebastián when he comes down from his hermitage and the romería of San Isidro on 15th of May.

www.elpadul.es

Nigüelas.

Its name derives from Niwalas and it was originally under the Islamic rule of Padul

After the reconquest it maintained its special agricultural character and this is maintained to this day.

The village is on the eastern side of the valley, backing onto the Sierra Nevada.

There are bars, several supermarkets and a bakery, all of which can be found near the church. On the outskirts of the village on the road towards Dúrcal is the restaurant: Hostal Alquería de Los Lentos, a picturesque old water mill, a friendly place with good food, which is a little more interesting than many of the other restaurants.

Just up from the main square there is a small Olive Mill museum which is of local interest and worth a visit.

There are good walks from the village, up into the national park. You need to take the road down into the valley, across the river and towards the head of the gorge. You can take a well established route to the Alpujarras town of Lanjarón. This takes about 3 hours.

www.niguelas.org

Conchar.

At the foot of the Sierra de las Albuñuelas and next to the Rio Dúrcal can be found this small village. It is mainly an agricultural village with vines, olives and almonds..

There is one main road into the village (which is stunning!), although there is a track down a small valley at the opposite end of the village.

There are no shops or supermarkets here but local traders bring goods by van each day. There is a very good bakery in a small square off Calle Bajo.

The bar/restaurant La Huertacilla on the edge of the village serves good local food and has a terrace outside with wonderful views. There are some excellent walks down the valley from here.

www.conchar.com