The wonderful Sierra Nevada National Park

What do you think if today we enter one of the 15 natural parks in Spain? Specifically, we are going to move to Sierra Nevada, a mountainous massif belonging to the whole of the Baeticas. Located mainly in the province of Granada, although it also extends through Almería, it is the highest mountain range in all of Europe after the Alps. It is in this place where, on January 11, 1999, the Sierra Nevada National Park.

If you have the opportunity to visit this place, you will be able to observe its steep peaks covered with snow and ice, an immense horizon full of towns and hamlets, forests, different areas of natural vegetation and a rich fauna. Would you like to discover more details about the Sierra Nevada National Park? Well, we recommend that you do not miss anything that we tell you below!

The highest peaks of the peninsula

The Sierra Nevada National Park, which was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1986, combines beauty and ecological importance. In addition, it stands out for hosting the highest peaks of the Iberian Peninsula. We refer to Mulhacen, which reaches 3,479 meters of altitude, and Veleta, which reaches 3,398 meters. What's more, 15 of its summits exceed 3,000 meters of altitude. Considering these data, it is not surprising that Muslims called this place "mountain of the sun".

Extraordinary landscape value

Beyond housing these lofty peaks, the Sierra Nevada National Park is characterized by being a marvelous complex of extraordinary landscape value. Of glacial origin, this mountainous massif that can be seen from the basin of Granada, hides a unique relief inside, where it is possible to find “U” valleys, lagoons, cirques, lateral moraines and ridges. Also, it is important to consider your wealth hydrological, which gives rise to the emergence of numerous rivers and streams and medicinal mineral waters. The Lanjarón spa and the network of ditches that pass through the Alpujarra stand out.

Flora and fauna

Within the Sierra Nevada National Park it is possible to find more than 2,100 plant species. Among all of them we want to highlight two exclusive endemic species of these massifs. We are referring to the Sierra Nevada violet and the snow star. As for fauna, experts say that the park is home to around 2,000 arthropods, 300 of them endemic. On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that where more animals can be found is in the high mountains, where species such as the snow vole, the alpine accentor, the skylark, the red rocker, the golden eagle or the griffon vulture coexist. Of course, the goat mountain is the most characteristic animal in the park.

Much to do

In addition to contemplating the landscape, flora and fauna, in the Sierra Nevada Park you can carry out numerous activities. The most traditional are snow, hunting and fishing, although today a wide range of hiking, mountaineering and mountain biking is offered. Among the sports you can do in the park are free flight, caving, ski, snowboarding, mountaineering, rafting, hiking or ballooning, among others. In fact, the tourist industry that has developed in this area plays a very important role in the whole of Andalusia.

Then we leave you with our Gallery, where you will find more images of this beautiful national park located in Granada. Do not miss it!

SOLO Backpacking SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK- Sierra Nevada MTS. (April 2024)