A short journey South from Granada in Andalucia, Spain, the Lecrin Valley is a picturesque string of pretty white villages set amongst orange, lemon, almond and olive groves in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Primarily rural, the area is filled with orange, lemon, almond and olive groves. Largely undiscovered it offers the perfect destination for people who want to be away from the coast (but
within easy reach - 25 minutes), away from the city (but a quick 20 minute trip up the motorway to the beautiful Moorish city of Granada) and surrounded by countryside that's perfect for riding, cycling, walking, twitching, skiing in winter and most of all, relaxing! The Lecrin valley is made up of 8 municipios, made up of 17 villages or towns:
Albuñuelas. El Valle: Melegís, Restábal, Saleres. Lecrín: Acequias, Chite, Béznar, Mondújar, Murchas, Talara. Nigüelas. Villamena: Cónchar, Cozvijar. According to Wikipedia:
"Lecrín derived from Arabic Iqlim, meaning "gateway": this refers to a small area of land situated between the villages of Mondújar and Talará, which controlled the access to the vast coastal areas of sugar production in Moorish times". However, the other school of thought is that El Valle de Lecrin actually means "happy valley" and this is how we like to think of it! Apart from Dúrcal and Padul, agriculture and farming remain the principal occupation with pine, citrus, almond, olive and grape as the main crops. In more recent times it has become a popular destination for Spanish and international holidaymakers looking for a quiet and relaxing holiday amongst the orchards, but with easy reach to the beautiful Moorish city of Granada and the relatively unspoilt Costa Tropical. It is also a favourite destination for walkers, bird watchers, cyclists and artists. An area of outstanding natural beauty, the Lecrin Valley is famous for its verdant landscape (due to the melt-water run off from the Sierra Nevada) and its amazing views to lake Beznar and up to the Sierra Nevada mountains, its walks, birdlife and amazing spring colours.
