-
37°03'08.0"N 2°23'42.2"W
-
37.052220, -2.395046
Distance
Highlights
Parque Natural Sierra de Baza
From the dusty desert Badlands around Tabernas, to the densely-forested high roads and snow-capped peaks of Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada, you ride through Parque Natural Sierra de Baza and Parque Natural Sierra de Huétor. Cabo de Gata-NÌjar Natural Park is characterised by volcanic rock formations, lava flows, volcanic domes, and volcanic calderas. The park joined the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in 2006, and is also a member of the European Geoparks Network. A great ride through natural beauty.
Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada Natural Area, which consists of the National Park and Natural Park of the same name, is renowned for extensive mountainous terrain, dense reliefs, and having the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula, the imposing Mulhacen which stands at 3,479 metres. As part of the Penibética mountain range, it extends from southeast Granada to western Almeria. Due to its huge variety of landscapes and its unique natural attributes, it has received various protection statuses, and besides being a natural park AND a national park, it is also internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve.
Get there early to beat the crowds
As Spain's most visited monument, millions of visitors come to admire the exquisite beauty of The Alhambra every year, to walk through its many rooms, patios and gardens. So get there early in the morning to get a good parking space for your motorcycle and to avoid the crowds.
As you walk through the gardens and patios of The Alhambra, and across the different levels of this hilltop fortress, you'll notice that the temperature is cooler than the rest of Granada. This is due to the many ponds and fountains, placed there to ensure a cool interior microclimate. Water is a fundamental design element, and used throughout the site, both for temperature control, and to irrigate the many flowers, plants and other arboreal enhancements, brought here by successive kings and rulers, through the centuries.
Originally constructed as a smaller fortress in 889, it was renovated and rebuilt in the middle of the 11th century, by the Moorish king Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Kingdom of Granada. In 1333, it was converted into a royal palace by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.
With its many carvings, inscriptions, architectural detailing, the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus. Artists and intellectuals had taken refuge here, as the Reconquista by Reyes Católicos (Spanish Christians) won victories over Al Andalus. Since then, many artists, poets, musicians, writers and film makers have used The Alhambra both for inspiration for their works, and a setting for their stories, poems, and films.
