RUTA 4. PITRES-PAMPANEIRA

About trip

Pitres to Capilerilla

You leave Hotel San Roque to the left and immediately turn left again ascending up the stairs to C/ Real de Pitres, turning left to the church (16th century).

At the square head up north, between 'Centro de Salud Urgencias' and the church, the street is called San Roque.

After 60m, when the street San Roque bends to the right, you continue straight on along the steepest street called Cuesta Molina.

Once you reach the old wash house (Lavadero) (sign 'Capilerilla 0.5 km') (wp1) head up to Capilerilla along the stream bank, with huge chestnut trees and old street lights, to exceed the 100m of height difference between both villages.

When you reach the first house of the village (house number 8) the path curves to the right and soon after reaching the next houses the track becomes concrete (wp2).

Turn to the left just in front of house No 26 and pass the sign 'Ayuntamiento de la Taha' (‘La Taha’ Townhall) on your left handside.

Capilerilla to Mirador

Head up along the first street to the right (C/Cantueso) and directly to the left. Sign 'Camino de Bubión' and a bit later you’ll see the red and white GR7 waymarks and the name of this street 'C/Real'. Then sign post 'Bubión 3.5km' (wp 3), to climb to the right.

After 50m, you’ll come to a fork in the track and you will see an old washing house further ahead: at this point take the path to your left.

After 5-7 minutes comfortably walking on this path, you will cross a riverbed of stones, almost always dry.

Then ascend, bearing right, and cross the irrigation ditch, the 'Acequia Real' (wp4) and the path bears ahead and then left.

Follow the track and where paths vier off from the track you will see a red-white mark painted on the rocks (quite different). Take this marked path taking you along an ascending path between the track and a river channel. This leads you to rejoin the wider track which soon becomes concrete and then dirt once more.

Cross the dirt track (attention this track is not shown in your map) to follow the footpath signed with red-white marks and some stone cairns.

Go on to find a GR7 post and a concrete track (wp 5). Ignore the track to the left and continue straight on passing a cattle sign.

Turn left and walk on this track for 1 km, following the red-white signs and ignoring 400m further a dirt track on the right and 200m later another dirt track on the right.

You arrive at a crossroads (wp6), go ahead to a pathway post marked with red and white (ignore on your left a sign to 'Cortijo Prado Toro'). The track is now narrower, descending.

Ignore a turn off left (marked with red and white cross) just after a disused water channel and concreted blocks, and climb steeply to cross a broader track (wp7).

Continue on the other side (10m further) on a footpath going up towards the rocks (Peñón) marked as GR (red-white) and PR (yellow and green), enjoying unbeatable views of the gorge of the Poqueira and the villages of Pampaneira (further down), Bubión and Capileira (the highest) together with the over 3000 metres - peaks of Veleta and Mulhacén.

Mirador (viewpoint) to Pampaneira

From the view point you will see the marked path on the other side of the rocks. The old path now drops down zigzagging as a well-made stone path with astonishing views of the valley.

After 750m you will meet a broad track. Turn left following the waymarks (wp 8) downhill. After 50m ignore the ascending path to the right (marked with R&W cross) and continue descending.

Pass a great chestnut on the left just in front of the entrance to a footpath with an archway.

Go on downhill and turn left just in front of a horse barn (wp 9), a path alongside a (dry) water channel marked with yellow and white PRA 401 waymarks. If you want you can go straight ahead into Bubion here. Soon the path abandons the water channel and continues alongside orchards and vegetable gardens towards an oak forest. You will come to a water channel, cross it and continue following the yellow and white waymarked path..

Scarcely 100m further, ignore a footpath (wp 10) that descends, marked as PR with green and white signals.

Be careful 800m later when you have to turn right on a sharp bend (wp 11). Go down to cross the road where the path continues to a concrete track.

Turn left, passing the cemetery and on the next left bend continue ahead (signed as dead- end-street). You come in Pampaneira on the Calle Real.

The road splits, keep left and turn left at the end (Calle La Peseta) heading to 'Restaurante- Pizzería'. Go straight past 'Restaurante Castaño' and go on to the tarmac road where you will find the Estrella de las Nieves hotel.

About Pampaneira

One of a trio of popular and picturesque whitewashed villages, Pampaneira, like its neighbours Bubión and Capileira, hugs the steep slopes of a lush river gorge; the Barranco de Poqueira.

Pampaneira is the lowest of the three, at just over 1,000m. The small village with a population of around 300, centres on its pretty square dominated by a 16th-century Mudéjar church; the Iglesia de Santa Cruz, with a wooden coffered ceiling and a couple of gilded altar pieces dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The church is flanked by several bars and handicraft shops.

At the main square Plaza de la Libertad you can find the tourist information office of Nevadensis, here you can also buy books, maps, clothes and other things from the Alpujarras.

Less than 2km outside Pampaneira is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Osel Ling, which means 'clear light'. From its stupa are spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada, the coast and Órgiva.