The Lecrin Valley & the GR7 Walking Route

The GR7 Walking Trail

Heading south from Granada following signs towards the coastal town of Motril, you promptly come into the fertile Valle de Lecrin, (Lecrin Valley).

Backed to the north by the impressive peaks of the Galayos de Dilar (overlooked by Sierra Nevada's southernmost 3000m peak, El Caballo), the valley stretches down towards the Sierra de Albuñelas and Guájares that line the Tropical Coast.

The valley is full of orange, lemon and olive groves spanning hills and eroded ravines. Irrigated primarily from the waters running down from the high peaks of Sierra Nevada, the Lecrin Valley is abundant in irrigation channels, rivers and streams flowing into the Beznar reservoir. The valley is named after the principal town, Lecrin.

It is home to a selection of quaint, unspoilt Moorish villages with their Mudejar style churches including Melegis, Restábal, Pinos del Valle, Saleres and Albuñelas. The market town of Durcal at the head of the valley provides all you need for supplies, friendly locals and an ambiental weekly market.

Tourism is becoming more and more important here not only for the local interest found here but also for being conveniently located for visiting the dramatic coastline of the Costa Tropical, the mysterious Alpujarras region, hiking along the historical GR7, (E4) trail, ancient Granada city and skiing in Sierra Nevada during the winter months.

The GR7 Walking Trail

The Arab, Idris al-Sharif, (known more locally as Al-Idrisi), was one of the prime men responsible for establishng at least part of this giant route spanning from the Straits of Gibraltar at Tarifa to Istanbul (9,500kms) and Crete (10,500kms).

History has it that he was the first person to become convinced the Earth was round through Astral study and mathematical calculation. Not only this, Al-Idrisi compiled the first disc shaped map of the known world which were later translated and used by great explorers such as Columbus and DeGama.

Al-Idrisi particulary ad a hand in drawing up the route from Algeciras to the Granada province which passed through Albuñuelas, Saleres, Restábal and several other villages within the Lecrin valley before continuing into the Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada's southern slopes.

The GR7 is proclaimed as one of the first routes usd by man when he stopped following the coastline of landmass as a hunter-gatherer to progress inland as a settler and farmer.

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