YourAndalucia

The province of Granada is found in the east of Andalucia and borders with Almeria and Murcia in the east, Malaga in the west, Cordoba in the north-west and Jaen in the north. It is 12,635 square kilometres in area and its capital city is Granada which is famous for its Moorish wonder of architecture, the Alhambra.

Granada Province is a province of contrasts – the hot, sunny beaches of its Mediterranean coast, the Costa Tropical, contrast with the snowy Sierra Nevada where there are great skiing facilities. The cosmopolitan city life of Granada contrasts with the sleepy, rural life of the mountain villages of Las Alpujarras.

Granada Province is divided into 11 comarcas or counties:-

• Alpujarras – Las Alpujarras or La Alpujarra are the mountains and valleys which are located to the south of the Sierra Nevada and to the north of the Costa Tropical. It is a beautiful area with its fertile valleys, steep terrain, white villages and craggy mountains, and has long been a popular destination for New Age “hippies”. Many of the villages are of a Berber style in architecture due to the area's Moorish past. Las Alpujarras were made famous in Chris Stewart's wonderful books “Driving Over Lemons”, “Parrot in a Pepper Tree” and “The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society”. Towns and villages include Orgiva, Lanjaron, Ugijar, Laujar, Berja, Trevelez, Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira.
  Area Metropolitana de Granada – This comarca is Granada City. The city is an absolute must-see for its wonderful cosmopolitan centre, its incredibly beautiful Moorish fortress and palace, the Alhambra, and the winding cobbled streets and white buildings of its Moorish quarter, the Albaicin (Albayzin). See some real flamenco, browse around Moorish architecture, sample tasty tapas, shop til you drop or unwind in Arab tearooms – Granada has got it all!
  Comarca de Alhama – This comarca is situated in the east of the province and consists of the main towns of Alhama de Granada, Chimeneas, Zafarraya, La Malaha, Jayena and Arenas del Rey. Zafarraya's claim to fame is that a Neanderthal mandible bone was found in a cave there along with Mousterian tools. Alhama de Granada is a spa town which is located about 50km from Granada. It is a pretty town which is known for its thermal springs. A Muslim bath house can be seen inside the Hotel Balneario.
• Comarca de Baza – The comarca de Baza is made up of the municipalities of Baza, Caniles, Benamaurel, Cortes de Baza, Cuevas del Campo, Cullar, Freila and Zujar. The main town of this comarca, Baza, is an interesting town for history lovers who will be able to see many historical remains, such as La Dama de Baza sculpture, the Arab Baths and the churches.
  
  The area around Baza is very scenic, being in the Sierra de Baza Natural Park. The Natural Park is full of wildlife, including eagles, vultures and the unique Baza Butterfly.
  
  Baza Lake, or Lake Negratin, is also worth a visit – there are thermal baths, a beach and a restaurant at the Zujar end of the lake and a pebble beach and restaurant at the Freila end. There are also many cave houses in the area.
• Comarca de Guadix – Guadix is famous for its cave houses with about half of the population of the town of Guadix living in cave houses in the Barriada de las Cuevas. Guadix is about 55km east of the city of Granada and is a great place to try out cave life and see historic remains, such as the wonderful Gothic/Renaissance/Baroque cathedral and the historic 10^th and 11^th Century Alcazaba. Other towns in this comarca include Purullena, Albuñan, La Calahorra, Benalua, Jerez del Marquesado and Cortes y Graena.
• Comarca de Huescar – This comarca is made up of the municipalities of Huescar, Castillejar, Castril, Galera, Orce and Puebla de Don Fadrique. Huescar, or the City of Peace, is the main town of the comarca and is found at an altitude of over 950m in rural Andalucia. It is not a city, but more of a traditional Andalucian mountain village surrounded by lush greenery and mountains. Huescar has a freshwater pool in which you can take a dip, many convents and churches nearby and mountain tracks and paths to enjoy nature.
• Comarca de Loja – This comarca is situated in the most western part of the province of Granada and includes the municipalities of Loja, Montefrio, Algarinejo, Huetor-Tajar, Illora, El Salor and others. Montefrio is a pretty town whose church is built on the site of a Moorish fortress on a hill. Loja, at the foot of the Sierra de Loja mountains, is a lovely village which is known for its churches and for being called “a flower among thorns” by Isabella of Castile. Nearby Riofrio is known for its trout and its Moorish bridge remains.
  Costa Tropical – Also known as the Costa Granadina, the comarca of the Costa Tropical is the south coast of the province of Granada and its main towns and villages include Albuñol, La Rabita, Motril, Almuñecar, Lujar, Calahonda, Salobreña and Nerja.
  
  The Costa Tropical has some wonderful beaches and coves and is known for its watersports. Almuñecar is a popular town and Salobreña has a lovely beach as well as a historical Moorish castle.
• Los Montes – This is a mountainous comarca right in the north of the province of Granada. It borders with Jaen in the north, with the Valle de Guadiana in the east, the Valle de Genil in the south and the Cordoba road (carretera) in the east. The main mountain range of this comarca is the Sierra Arana.
• Valle de Lecrin – The Lecrin Valley is situated to the south of the city of Granada and is a lush, fertile valley which was known as the “Valley of Happiness” by the Moors. Within easy reach of Granada, the Sierra Nevada, Costa Tropical and Las Alpujarras, the Lecrin Valley is a wonderful area to visit. See sleepy mountain villages, go for a mountain hike, visit Moorish castles or just take in the scenery. The main municipalities are Chite and Mondujar.
• Vega de Granada – This is the central comarca of the Granada province which borders to the north with Los Montes, to the east with Guadix, to the south with Valle de Lecrin, to the south-east with Las Alpujarras, to the south-west with Alhama de Granada and to the west with Loja. The vega is made up of fertile plains in the west and mountains in the rest of the comarca, which include the Sierra Nevada. There are many lovely villages in the Vega, including Fuente Vaqueros, the birthplace of the famous Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca.