Venice is incredibly crowded, but for obvious reasons! There’s no where on earth quite like it. But heat, crowds, and lines during popular tourist seasons can take away from the whole experience of Venice. The quite corners, winding canals, and hanging laundry is not as magical when you’re fighting the mosh pit to see it.
We stumbled upon La Alpujarra of Southern Spain while planning a one month trip around the coast. We saw the high altitude villages of these region when searching for accommodations that were outside of Granada. With children, we prioritize staying outside of the city and doing day trips in to visit one or two major sites, and this region looked perfect for our 5 day stay in this part of Spain.
The white washed villages of Las Alpujarras are truly one of Spain’s best kept secrets. There’s a deep, layered story there. After the fall of Granada in the 15th century, the Moors who refused to convert to Christianity fled into these mountains. Their influence is still everywhere: in the architecture, in the terraced farming systems, even in the names of the towns.
The landscape is breathtaking with deep valleys, rugged mountains, and tiny white villages tucked into the landscape’s corners. The region is perfect for hikers and slow travel. We were able to enjoy hikes in Sierra Nevada National Park, take in the Moorish buildings and historic paths, shop for textiles that were handmade right in front of us, play on playgrounds in the center of these mountain villages, and enjoy flamenco in the center of the villages.
Continue reading “How Our Family Found One of Spain’s Best Kept Secrets”
Beyond The Usual Trail 