2-day circular route photography trip to the Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada

Lately photography is in fashion and if you connect it with landscape, nature and culture, you will have all the ingredients to make your trip to Sierra Nevada a memorable one.

Imagine yourself in the Poqueira Valley, next to a mountain refuge at the foot of Mulhacén, the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula, meditating in a Buddhist temple, and shooting the colors of the sunset with your camera, connecting with nature and observing the cosmos in the late afternoon. Sounds good, right? Well look what I propose:

Day 1: Bubion

A walk through Bubion

Bubión, the smallest and most picturesque of the towns in the Alpujarras, with spectacular views of Capileira and the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It is the perfect place for portraits.

Acequia Alta Route in The Poqueira Valley

20 minutes from Capileira you will walk following the Acequia Alta, which is located at about 2,200 meters of altitude and enters the beautiful Poqueira Valley with views of many of the three thousand Sierra Nevada from the southern slope, going up the course of the river Mulhacen.

The landscape there and the connection you will feel with nature is unique!

There you will come across the Mulhacén. Wow!

In the area before reaching the refuge, if you are lucky you will be able to observe and photograph some mountain goats that run free through the sheepfolds.

In the last section of the route, you will continue along the path that goes up the Peñón Negro ravine that will take you directly to the mountain refuge.

night in the shelter from Poqueira

At 2,500 meters is the Poqueira refuge, located in a spectacular location, which allows you to see the Poqueira valley and the Alpujarras under your feet, sometimes even the Mediterranean if the day is good, and nearby you can see the emblematic peaks of Sierra Snowfalls that exceed three thousand meters, such as Mulhacén, Veleta or Cerro de los Machos.

A little meditation before sleep

What's better than doing a guided meditation near a stream and being able to silently enjoy the connection with nature.

Workshop Photography from the landscape

After a beautiful dinner under the starry sky, what better than to close with a landscape photography workshop and wait to contemplate the magical hours of sunset, with a sky free of light pollution, perfect for capturing the Milky Way and playing with photography long exposure.

Day 2: Capileira and Pampaneira

You will climb to the well-known Alto del Chorrillo in the foothills of Mulhacén, the highest point of the route at 2,600 meters high and with excellent views of the valley. A perfect place to take photos and breathe the pure mountain air.

From here, you will go down the slope with unforgettable views of native pine forests, which closes the 2-day circular route.

The gastronomy alpujarreña

Leaving behind the journey through the mountains, and as a well-deserved reward, what better way than to give yourself a tribute to taste the delicious Alpujarran gastronomy in Capileira, one of the most beautiful towns in Spain.

Pampaneira, Alpujarras in its purest form

Pampaneira, full of picturesque places to photograph and small shops selling fabrics, honey and other native products. Be sure to take photos of its cobblestone alleys and white houses with slate roofs and balconies full of flower pots.

He Buddhist temple alpujarreño

And such a special trip cannot but end in a Buddhist center located in a spectacular location at the top, in a triangle where the Veleta, Mulhacen and Sierra de Lújar peaks converge, dominating the entire southern valley of the Sierra Nevada. Its about O Sel Ling Buddhist temple, the "Place of clear light", blessed by the Dalai Lama himself, pure tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

You know, if you want to enjoy these two unforgettable days, you just have to contact @jmmoyag on his Instagram account, a traveler and photographer who has traveled halfway around the world and where he always found the best part of his soul in the mountains. ☮️