White villages · Alpujarra Granadina

Capileira

Capileira is the highest of the Poqueira villages, at about 1,440 metres below Mulhacén in the Alpujarra, a Conjunto Histórico of flat-roofed white houses and a base for mountain walks.

About Capileira

Capileira stands at about 1,440 metres at the head of the Barranco de Poqueira, the highest of its three villages. Its land runs up to the summit of Mulhacén, the highest peak in mainland Spain. After the Morisco revolt of 1568–1571 it was resettled by Christian settlers. It lies in the Poqueira Conjunto Histórico, joined Los Pueblos más Bonitos de España in 2017 and has about 590 residents.

The parish church, rebuilt in the 17th century, has a gilded Baroque altarpiece and an image of the Virgen de la Cabeza said to be a gift of the Catholic Monarchs. The Casa-Museo Pedro Antonio de Alarcón on Calle Mentidero shows tools and furniture in a village house. Look for the tinaos and the two washhouses below the Hondera and La Pileta fountains, used until 1965.

Granada is about 76 km away, 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Alsa buses from Granada stop at the entrance. Park in the free car parks at the entrance or near Calle Castillo. Lanes are steep and stepped, not suitable for wheelchairs. The museum opens Saturday and Sunday 11:00–14:00 (€1). Allow two hours. From spring to autumn a park minibus serves walkers heading for the high peaks.

Late spring and early autumn are best. The Virgen de la Cabeza fiestas fall on the last Sunday of April and in mid-August, and on 1 November the Mauraca fills Plaza del Calvario with roast chestnuts and anís. Try the plato alpujarreño and local ham. Evenings are cool even in summer.

Capileira in pictures

Whitewashed house with a balcony and wall of flower pots on a street in Capileira

Capileira on the green slopes of the Poqueira valley below the snow-covered peaks of Sierra Nevada

What you’ll find

Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
Car parkParkingFree
ChurchChurch visitFree
FestivalAnnual festivalFree
Guided tourGuided tourBook
Hiking trailHikingFree
Historic centreOld town walkFree
Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
MuseumMuseum entry (€1, 11:00–14:00)Ticket
ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

Capileira is the top of the Poqueira trio, with Bubión (1 km) and Pampaneira (2 km) below it, linked by a waymarked path and by the Acequias del Poqueira circuit along old irrigation channels. Higher up, the track towards Mulhacén and the Veleta starts here, served in season by the national park minibus. Over the ridge to the east, Trevélez (10 km) is the village of the famous ham, and the Vallejo Ham Museum (9 km) there explains the curing. On the far side of the range, Los Cahorros de Monachil (25 km) is a popular gorge walk near Granada with hanging bridges over the river.