Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Adam Jones

I think April will be a good time, before it gets too hot. The closest major city is Granada. I’ll be flying there, maybe with a break in Barcelona. Granada looks to be stunningly beautiful. I am staying two nights in the city and it will probably be in the Parador de Granada, although the Hotel Casa 1800 Granada is supposed to be very picturesque.

From Granada I could head by bus to Capileira, which is a small town that sits at the foot of Mulhacén, the tallest mountain in Spain. There is a Microbus service there. It takes travelers up the mountain on days with good weather. It’s actually becoming a rather popular tourist destination, so I’m not concerned about it being too isolated. I’d rather walk up the mountain, though. Apparently it’s not that difficult and doesn’t require any climbing equipment, just normal hiking gear.

I could take the bus to Beas de Granada (east of Granada). There is a fantastic one-way walk that leads back into the center of Granada. It’s supposed to be one of the best hiking experiences to be had in the Sierra Nevada. The route is about 30 kilometers atop a broad ridge, which might be a little long for me. I’ve also been warned to hike this path in May at the latest due to the heat.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Andrew Hurley

Another option is to travel in June or July. I could go from Granada to Trevélez (which is on the eastern side of Mulhacén) to climb the path to the Seven Lakes, but any earlier in the year and there’s too much snow. Most of the climb isn’t too difficult and I’ve heard that the waterfalls are amazing. It leads up to a place called the Seven Lakes (Siete Lagunas). I’m probably going to choose this one.

There’s actually quite a few other hikes, like a hard one called Vereda de la Estrella. I could also hike from Capileira to Trevélez, but not in winter. There’s so many choices!

One of the other great activities that you can do around the mountainous countryside of Spain is mountain biking. The hilly terrain and dry conditions lend themselves perfectly to this pursuit and there are no rules against doing this.

This article was written by John Davies who enjoys blogging for Thomson Al Fresco holidays. He has travelled around most of Europe, camping with his family most of the way and he enjoys nothing more than sharing his experiences with other bloggers and travellers alike through guest posts.

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The place is located close to Barcelona. Montserrat literally means “jagged mountain” and when you take a look at the pinkish rock, which is above the monastery and visible already from afar, you are immediately clear why. Although the mountain alone attracts many rock climbers, most people come here to visit the Benedictine monastery and see the statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ, also known as “la Moreneta”. The Black Madonna is made of wood and was created sometimes between the 12th and 13th century. Just like in many similar cases, even here a lot of people believe that the statue has supernatural abilities, such as cure or fulfil wishes. She was declared the saint patron of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII in 1844.

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But Montserrat Monastery is even older coming from the 8th or 9th century, however since then it has undergone many alterations and was almost destroyed during Napoleonic wars. Today’s appearance is from the late 19th century.

Some of you who knows the music much better than just from radios would certainly be familiar with a local boys’ choir of sopranos and altos called L’Escolania, existing since the 13th century. It is the oldest institution of its kind in Europe.

The monastery also includes an extensive library with more than 200,000 volumes. But it is still not everything. The legend says that this site was a place of the castle of the Holy Grail (often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers).

Montserrat monastery is situated in the mountain at an altitude of 750 meters above sea level and formerly was very hard accessible. However now it is very easy to get there, so be prepared for crowds. You can use road, but also a steep lift built in 1930 (Aerie de Montserrat) or cog-railway from 1892.

Due to a huge number of visitors (almost 750,000 people a year), there are lots of car parks, restaurants, refreshments with ice cream, souvenir shops, two museums and even a hotel.

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It is obviously desirable to maintain this natural wealth into the future. The part of the Pyrenees even got to the UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its uniqueness. It is an area around Mont Perdu, which limestone massif rises to a height of 3352 meters above sea level. The total area covers 31,189 hectares, although it was initially smaller. The first entry was made in 1997, and the protected area was enlarge three years later. It is also a place of the oldest Spanish National Park with long name Parque Nacional Valle de Ordesa – Monte Perdido, founded in 1918 on an area of ​​20.5km2 and later extended. On the French side it has a younger partner, the Pyrénées National Park established in 1967.

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On the Spanish side there are two largest and deepest canyons in Europe. On the French side you will find three great glacials. These geological formations are accompanied by mysterious caves, clear water lakes, deep forests and colorful meadows.

In terms of human life, the landscape of Mont Perdu is such a kind of window to the past. The farmers live in almost the same way of life as before, that was formerly common in all mountainous areas of Europe.

The most impressive canyons are mainly Ordesa, Pineta and Añisclo. You can choose from many hiking trails of varying difficulty, from very easy ones to the downright climbing. But you have to be prepared that the hiking trails can be challenging and sometimes a bit awkward. This applies to certain trails called “fajas” that lead over ledges along the canyon, but more to the trails “clavijas” that leads through the steel steps at the steep rock walls.

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Everywhere you see something interesting and very diverse, ranging from bare rock to almost impenetrable vegetation.

The highest summits of Pyrenees are Pico d’Aneto or Pic de Néthou (3,404 metres), Posets peak (3,375 metres), Mont Perdu or Monte Perdido (3,355 metres). You will find here also the highest waterfall – The Gavarnie, which is the tallest waterfall in France, and one of the most impressive and highest waterfalls in Europe.

Pyrenees contains three national parks – Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Spain), Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Spain) and Pyrénées National Park (France).

In winter the mountains are great place for alpine skiing.

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You can hike Climb Mulhacen in a single day from the villages of Capileira or Trevélez, but it is recommended to stay for a night either at the mountain refuge at Poqueira, or in the bare shelter at Caldera to the west.

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Serra de Tramuntana, Majorca, Spain by Antoni Sureda

The tallest point in the Serra de Tramuntana can be found at the Puig Major which is situated more than 1445 meters above sea level. Not only is it the tallest point in the mountain range, but is also the tallest point in the entire Balearic Islands archipelago. The second tallest point which stands at 1364 meters above sea level is that of Puig de Massanella.

It is interesting to point out that the climate upon the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range is significantly different than that of the rest of the island of Majorca. On an average, the vast majority of the island receives less than 400 millimeters of rain per year. However, as much as 1500 millimetres of rain are received a year within the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains. As a result, the mounds also play an important role in ensuring that the island has sufficient drinking water. It is also the only point on the island which receives snow during wintertime.

Coastline of Serra de Tramuntana, Majorca, Spain by waterborough / Public domain license

Due to the fact that the entire mountain range is a UNESCO designated site, it is also protected and is utilized as a nature reserve in order to prevent the further deforestation of the island and ensure that many of the rare and endangered species that call the island home, continue to do so for many more centuries to come.

The picturesque beauty of the Serra de Tramuntana is one of the main reasons why countless people make their way up into the mountains. From many of the viewing positions along the sides of mountain, anyone is afforded some of the finest views of the entire Balearic Islands archipelago. Needless to say, the awe-inspiring views have inspired countless people over the centuries.

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Photo by admin

In 1987, the rock was declared a nature reserve and the smallest protected area in Europe, because it covers an area of ​​4,5 square kilometers. There is a number of endemic species of plant and animals such as sea gulls and falcons.

Peñón de Ifach is a distinct visual attraction on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a height of 332 metres.

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