Casa Viñas de Vera

Deep in Andalucia, the Lecrin Valley, or Valle de Lecrin, is a beautiful and picturesque area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, situated between Granada and the coast and within easy reach of the Alpujarras.  At the bottom of the valley the Beznar Reservoir creates a haven for wildlife and is very popular with fishermen, walkers and birdwatchers.  It is relatively untouched by tourism so a phrasebook is recommended.

There are 4 distinct seasons here.  In January the delicate almond blossom starts to appear, forming pinky-white clouds across the Valley.  This is followed in spring by the oranges,  whose incredibly sweet and heady scent follows you wherever you go.  In late spring to early summer the area is awash with wild flowers.  Poppies wave their papery heads in all directions.  With the rising heat of the summer comes the sound of cicadas and everything takes on a stillness unknown during the rest of the year.  The fruit trees are laden, lemons drop all around you and the air is filled with the aroma of wild lavender, thyme, rosemary and summer jasmine.  In contrast to the lazy summer, autumn is a hive of activity as first the almonds and then the olives are harvested.  Once the rains come the trees are pruned and wood smoke appears in plumes across the Valley.  Rain in the Valley means snow in the Sierras, with beautiful views and the promise of the ski season to come.

This is an area of outstanding natural beauty.  Farming is the principal way of life here, with the Valley being planted with orange, lemon, almond and olive trees.  Water flows constantly from the mountains through the centuries-old irrigation systems created by the Moors  and this makes for a verdant area quite different from other, more baron landscapes in this region.