About the Area

About the Area (Nearby)

From April to the end of November the area is a paradise for walking and horse riding and Cortijos Rey Fini is in the heart of it all, however July and August are more suitable for eating, swimming, site seeing and dreaming in the hammock.

Trevelez

Local bakery in Trevelez.

Trevelez claims to be the highest village in Spain and it is only 4 kms from the cortijos. It is the centre for curing ham “Jamon” in Spain and anywhere you wander in the village you will encounter the aroma of hams. A leg of ham here can cost as little as 50 euros. The valley has been cut by the rio trevelez and it is very similar to the Poqueira valley down below. As well as the famous Serrano ham, you can buy river caught trout and a variety of locally grown fruit and vegetables. In the summer the whole area cultivates cherry tomatoes, mostly ending up on the shelves of waitrose super markets in UK.

Trevelez is divided into three sections: the lower, middle and upper village. The tourists mostly go to the lower part but there are good restaurants offering cheap menus and good pizzeria in the middle and upper part. In order to get to the upper part either park your car in the lower part and walk or just before Trevelez take a sharp fork left which takes you to the middle part. There is a mini supermarket, various butchers and you can buy bread at any café or panaderia. If you want to buy a leg of ham, this is the place to buy it. The older it is the more expensive it gets, like whiskey. If you need to cool off in the Summer, just continue through Trevelez until you get to the bridge and Rio Trevelez wheres you can have a swim. Just across the river there is a bar with barbequed rabbit and roasted pig meat.

Busquistar, Portugos and Pitres

A view of Capileira approaching from the forest track behind the cortijos.

Busquistar, with its maze of steps and narrow alleyways in between pretty white painted houses, is the nearest village, 4 km to the south. Many retired Spanish people live here so please be careful when driving as they like to stroll along the road. The village has a post office, bakery, supermarket and several cafes and bars. Paco, the restaurant, offers a set lunch or menu for around 7 euros including a carafe of local wine.The set meals normally served between hours of 1 to 4 PM.

Portugos is the next village along. Again, there is a mini supermarket. Also 2 ironmongers in this village. Beyond Portugos is Pitres offering several hotels, a lively fruit and veg Friday market, a nice big camping site and several mini supermarkets.

Also there is a 24 hour clinic which serves the area.

Capileira, Bubion and Pampaneira

The village of Capileira.

These 3 white villages are perhaps some of the most spectacular in southern Spain. Everywhere is painted white. Whilst the top village is the most touristy, Bubion is slowly catching up. Capileira is the place for most walks and where the forest track comes down from Trevelez. This track between Capileira and Trevelez branches to the left and that was the old route to the peaks of Mulhacen and Granada until it was closed recently. There is a well organised tourist office in the village that organises buses with special permission to go up this road. They offer a variety of free maps, services and information on walking. They can also organise National Parks Minibuses to the restricted areas. There is a great variety of restaurants in this village and many shops selling souvenirs and postcards. If you are driving and don’t want to walk, do drive through Pampaneira to the top – there are wonderful views of the Poquira Valley but you can also just get out for a short walk here.