Last Updated on January 5, 2016 by Jon Algie
“Where are the signs!?” we asked each other as we wandered around the ghost town of Beas de Granada. We had just arrived on the bus from Granada and hoped to walk the 16 km back into town, but we had no idea where to go – the GPS on our phone was no use at all. I remembered reading that the walk from Beas de Granada to Granada took in some great views of the snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains, so we decided to head towards the hills and hope that the track would reveal itself. We stumbled onto someone’s property, walked worryingly close to angrily barking dogs and almost gave up on our goal, until we decided to follow the road towards the mountains and not take any more detours.
Looking back at Beas de Granada
We eventually left town and found the track that we were 80% sure we should be on. We continued uphill in the mid-winter heat of Southern Spain until we reached a fork in the road. We obviously chose the wrong track and wasted about 20 minutes walking to and from a dead end. Again, we were almost ready to give up, but we pushed on in hope of seeing those views we had been promised. Despite a bit of haze (and the sun being in an annoying position) we did get some nice views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the barren foothills below, and we also started to get more confident of finding our way back to Granada before nightfall.
We had been all alone on the track for the first couple of hours, but as we reached the top of the last hill we started to see the occasional mountain biker – it was nice to see someone else out there, it meant we were probably heading in the right direction. It was also nice to finally be walking downhill, and after another couple of time wasting detours, we made it to an old bridge where we met a local guy out for a scenic bike ride. He gave us some great directions back to Granada (the more beautiful way, as he described it), so off we ventured down into a valley, past some scattered houses and eventually on to an abandoned monastery. It was covered in graffiti and looked like a place you’d see in a psychological horror movie, and after yet another time (and energy wasting) detour, we saw a tiny stream which flowed all the way back to Granada, just as the bike man said we would.
It was getting dark by this stage, and the tropical t-shirt weather of a few hours ago had changed to bone chilling, jacket wearing conditions. Sun is a stranger in these parts – we saw huge areas that looked like they’d been covered in frost for weeks. We kept walking until we hit the road and walked (at pace) through the suburb of Sacromonte and back into central Granada. It was a pretty tough walk, but seeing the stunning rural scenery around Granada definitely made it worth it.
Beas de Granada to Granada:The Details
There are lots of walks around Granada, but we chose this one as it promised the best views of the mountains. Getting to Beas de Granada is easy; just take the number 300 bus for a few Euro. Once you’re in Beas de Granada, keep walking on the main road towards the mountains, and you’ll eventually see the track. Signage is pretty poor, but if you keep walking on the main track you should eventually reach Granada, but I’m sure you’ll take the occasional wrong turn like we did (it’s all part of the fun I guess!). The walk from Beas de Granada to Granada took us around 4 and a half hours and was while it’s pretty tough in parts, it is manageable for most fitness levels.
Further reading: Looking for more hikes near Granada? Check out this helpful website
Granada
Granada, in Andalucia, is one of my favourite cities in Europe. It has a huge North African influence and is home to the amazing Alhambra – one of the most lavish palaces in Europe. I’ll be writing a full post on Granada soon, so I hope you come back and read it (here it is below!).
Further reading: Granada, Spain: One of the Coolest Little Cities in Europe
Have you walked from Beas de Granada to Granada? What is your favourite half day walk in Europe? Let me know!
Jon Algie
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