A Route Through Charming Villages: Bubión, Montefrío And Salobreña of Hotel Don Juan in Grenade. Official Website.

Granada does not end with the Alhambra, its viewpoints, or that historic centre that always seems to ask you for “one last stroll” before heading back to the hotel. The province opens out in many directions, and each one tells a different story: mountains, olive groves, whitewashed villages, castles, ravines, coastline and the Mediterranean. That is why a route through charming villages from Granada can be one of the best ways to discover another side of the destination.

That said, Bubión, Montefrío and Salobreña do not form a perfectly linear route. They are not exactly “on the way” to one another, however much maps sometimes seem to invite you to make life unnecessarily complicated. The most sensible idea is to treat them as three separate day trips from Granada, organised over several days, each starting and ending in the city.

This way, you can devote one day to the monumental inland setting of Montefrío, another to the Alpujarran calm of Bubión, and a third to the Mediterranean light of Salobreña. And, between one excursion and the next, return to rest at Hotel Don Juan, in a central location in Granada, convenient for combining the city, the road, breakfast before setting off and a well-earned rest at the end of the day.

Why take a route through charming villages from Granada

The city of Granada works very well as a base because it lets you enjoy two trips in one. On the one hand, you have the city itself: the Cathedral, the Albaicín, the Realejo, tapas, late-evening strolls and that blend of history and local life that hardly needs much introduction. On the other, you have a surprisingly varied province within reasonable driving distance.

In very little time, you can go from the streets of the centre to a village tucked between mountains, a viewpoint surrounded by olive trees, or a castle overlooking the sea. There is no need to change accommodation every night or repack your bags as though your holiday had become a miniature house move. You can sleep in Granada, head out in the morning and return at the end of the day with the feeling that you have visited somewhere entirely different.

This way of travelling also allows you to take things more slowly. It is not about collecting villages as though they were trading cards, but about giving each place the time it deserves: walking, looking, eating well, stopping at a viewpoint, buying a local product or simply sitting for a while without feeling you have to rush on to the next stop.

How to organise the route: three days, three landscapes

The most balanced plan would be to organise the trip as three separate day excursions from Granada:

• Day 1: Montefrío, to begin with one of the most striking silhouettes in inland Granada.


• Day 2: Bubión and the Alpujarra, to change pace and venture into the Poqueira Ravine.


• Day 3: Salobreña, to round off the route with an old town, a castle and the Mediterranean.

The order can be adapted according to the time of year, the weather or what you most feel like doing. If you are travelling in summer, it may make sense to leave Salobreña for a day when you can enjoy the beach until late. If you are travelling in autumn or spring, Bubión can offer you a perfect mountain day, gentle walking trails and Alpujarran cuisine. In winter, it is worth checking the forecast before heading up towards the Alpujarra, because the temperatures have very little to do with those in the city of Granada. Surprise: mountains behave like mountains.

Ideally, this route is best done by car. There is public transport to some places, but if you want to make good use of your time, stop wherever you fancy and return to Granada without depending on timetables, a car gives you far more freedom. As a general guide, Montefrío is less than an hour from Granada, Bubión is around an hour and a quarter away, and Salobreña is usually close to an hour by road. Even so, it is always worth checking road conditions and traffic before setting off.

Our route through charming villages from Granada

Day 1: Montefrío, viewpoints and one of Granada’s most beautiful panoramas

Montefrío is hard to forget from the moment you arrive. Its outline is dominated by a great rocky outcrop crowned by the remains of the Arab fortress and the Church of La Villa, as though the village had decided to grow upwards before spreading comfortably across the plain. Even from a distance, part of its charm is clear: whitewashed houses, hills, olive groves and architecture that seems to adapt to the terrain with a mixture of boldness and common sense.

The essential viewpoint in Montefrío

A good visit can begin at one of its viewpoints. The best known is the National Geographic Viewpoint, located on the outskirts, where you get that instantly recognisable view of the monumental ensemble. It is the kind of view that justifies stopping the car, taking out your camera and standing in silence for a few seconds — until someone says “take a photo of me here” and all solemnity promptly disappears.

A stroll through the monumental ensemble

Afterwards, it is well worth heading into the village and walking around without too much hurry. The Church of La Villa, built on the former fortress, gives you a very clear sense of the relationship between history, frontier and landscape. Montefrío was an important enclave on the border of the former Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, and that role can still be felt in its defensive position, the layout of its streets and the visual weight of its monuments.

It is also worth visiting the Church of La Encarnación, popularly known as “the round one” because of its unusual circular floor plan. It is one of those buildings that surprises you even more when you see it in context, surrounded by the everyday life of the village. And if you feel like extending the day, you can add a stroll through its whitewashed streets, look for the Placeta del Convento or seek out other panoramic spots.

Montefrío also has a gastronomy closely tied to the countryside, olive oil, seasonal produce and traditional recipes. There is no need to turn lunch into an academic treatise: simply choose well, try something local and do not rush. Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes, because the village has slopes and steep sections. The postcard is beautiful, yes, but your knees are entitled to an opinion too.

Day 2: Bubión, the Alpujarra and the charm of Sierra Nevada’s whitewashed villages

The second day changes the landscape completely. The route to Bubión takes you towards the Granada Alpujarra, through bends, ravines, hillsides and villages that seem to cling to the mountain with an almost impossible naturalness. Bubión lies in the heart of the Poqueira Ravine, between Pampaneira and Capileira, and forms part of that group of whitewashed villages where traditional architecture still defines the character of the place.

Getting to Bubión: the change of pace begins on the road

Here, the rhythm is different. Granada is left behind, and another way of looking begins to emerge: narrow streets, whitewashed houses, tinaos, distinctive chimneys, launa roofs and corners where silence has more presence than traffic. Bubión invites you to walk slowly, not because there is nothing to do, but because its appeal lies precisely in not turning the visit into a race.

What to see in Bubión

A good way to discover it is to leave the car and explore the village on foot. You can visit the church, follow some of its cobbled streets, pause by the fountains and notice how the architecture adapts to the slope. The Casa Museo Alpujarreña is a highly recommended stop if you want to understand traditional life in the area more deeply: its tools, domestic spaces and the rural culture that cannot be fully explained by a pretty photograph alone.

Bubión and the Poqueira Ravine

Bubión also works very well as a base for connecting with Pampaneira or Capileira, especially if you feel like completing the day with other villages in the Poqueira Ravine. Even so, it is worth allowing Bubión to take centre stage. It has its own calm: more discreet, less concerned with putting on a show, and ideal for those looking for a serene Alpujarra.

For lunch, the area calls for mountain dishes, local produce and hearty cooking, especially if you are travelling outside summer. You can also take the opportunity to buy a jarapa, a handmade product or a local food souvenir. Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes, bear the bends in the road in mind, and bring an extra layer if you are travelling in autumn, winter or spring. In the Alpujarra, the weather does not always follow the script you brought with you from the city of Granada.

Day 3: Salobreña, a whitewashed village facing the Mediterranean

After the inland landscape and the mountains, Salobreña brings the route to a luminous close. It is one of the most recognisable villages on the Costa Tropical: a whitewashed old town perched on a promontory, a castle at the top and, all around, the fertile plain, the sea and that Mediterranean light that changes the mood of the journey entirely.

Climbing up to Salobreña Castle

The visit can begin in the upper part of the village. Climbing its steep streets requires a little patience but rewards you with corners full of whitewash, flowerpots, passageways and viewpoints. Salobreña Castle is the great heritage landmark. Its Andalusian origins and strategic position help explain the historic importance of the town, particularly during the Nasrid period. From there, the views take in the sea, the fertile plain and the white profile of the old town.

Strolling through the old town and its viewpoints

The historic centre retains a layout of narrow, steep streets that invites you to wander without too much planning. You can visit the Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, pass through La Bóveda, look for Paseo de las Flores or stop at viewpoints such as El Postigo or the one dedicated to Enrique Morente. Salobreña has that highly appealing blend of history and coastal life: one moment you are among lanes with an Andalusian air, and shortly afterwards you are looking out over the Mediterranean.

Ending the day by the sea

If the weather is on your side, the day can end beside the sea. La Guardia Beach or the La Charca-Salomar area allow you to extend the day with a walk, a swim or a meal looking towards the horizon. On the Costa Tropical, gastronomy has a great deal to do with fish, espetos, tropical fruits and the kind of simple cooking that tastes even better when enjoyed near the water.

The perfect end to a route through the province of Granada

Salobreña works very well as a final stop because it opens the route towards the light. Montefrío brings the monumental panorama, Bubión adds the calm of the mountains, and Salobreña leaves you with that feeling of a complete journey: from Granada to the sea, passing through some of the province’s most contrasting faces.

Practical tips for doing this route from Granada

To enjoy this route through Granada’s villages without turning it into a military schedule, it is worth bearing a few details in mind:

• Do the route by car if you want to make good use of your time and move around freely.


• Check distances, traffic and road conditions before setting off, especially towards the Alpujarra.


• Get up reasonably early, but do not obsess over it. Leaving early helps; leaving in a bad mood does not help quite so much.


• Wear comfortable shoes for Montefrío, Bubión and Salobreña: all three have slopes, cobbled streets or uneven sections.


• Adapt the route to the season. In summer, avoid the hottest hours of the day, especially in Montefrío and Salobreña.


• Bring an extra layer for Bubión outside the warmest months.


• Book a restaurant if you are travelling at the weekend, on a public-holiday bridge or in high season.


• Do not try to see all three villages in a single day. Could you? Perhaps. Would you enjoy it? Far less.


• Returning to Granada at the end of each day can be a good option for dinner, rest and continuing to enjoy the city.

Granada as a base for discovering the province

Staying in Granada allows you to organise this route in a way that makes a great deal of sense. Instead of changing accommodation every night, you can head out in the morning, visit a different destination and return afterwards to the same place of rest. On a trip of several days, that convenience makes a real difference.

Hotel Don Juan fits this kind of trip well because it is located in a central area of Granada, practical both for enjoying the city and for planning excursions around the province. Before setting off on your route, you can start the day with the hotel breakfast; when you return, you have a comfortable room in which to rest after walking up slopes, visiting viewpoints, castles or cobbled streets.

In addition, having a 24-hour reception gives you peace of mind when you are organising long days out or arrive back later than expected. And if you are travelling by car, the nearby partner car park is especially useful, because parking in a city like Granada is not always the extreme sport you expected to practise on holiday. Add to that good value for money, which matters when you want to combine several days of travel, excursions and plans without sending your budget soaring.

A route for discovering another Granada

This route is not intended to replace the city of Granada, but to expand it. The city deserves every day you can give it, but the province has a richness that often remains in the background: whitewashed villages, castles, viewpoints, ravines, olive groves, crafts, mountain cuisine, beaches and historic coastal towns.

Montefrío, Bubión and Salobreña show three very different ways of understanding Granada. The first looks towards the monumental inland landscape and olive groves. The second takes you into the Alpujarra, where the mountains set the pace. The third opens the province to the Mediterranean, with a whitewashed old town and views that smell of the coast.

If you are planning a getaway to Granada and want to combine the city, charming villages and routes through the province, Hotel Don Juan offers you a comfortable, central base from which to organise the trip at your own pace, rest between excursions and discover a Granada that goes far beyond its best-known icons.