Murtas, viewpoint of the Contraviesa

Not all our guests can or like to make long walks. We therefor want to give a suggestion of a tour by car through the Contraviesa. This is a mountain range we look at from ´El Paraje´ and where most of our wines are made. From Bérchules you drive down to Cádiar from where you climb up the Contraviesa. On the top you turn left towards Murtas. While you drive on this quiet country road you have an excellent panorama of many Alpujarran villages and the summits of the Sierra Nevada to the left and the Mediterranean Sea to the right. After having passed bar-restaurant and winery Cuatro Vientos you arrive at a crossroads Venta del Chaleco with a sign of the Cerrajón the Murtas, the second highest top of the Contraviesa. Passing a cheese factory it is possible to drive up almost to the very top at 1,507 metres; you need to walk about fifteen minutes (see our map).
People that would like to stretch their legs for a little bit longer, could consider the short local walk ´La Solana´ (see our post Sendero Local La Solana in Murtas). To get to the starting point of this circular waymarked walk of four kilometres, you pass through Murtas and continue until you see a sign ´centro the población´. To your left you see a wooden bench (if it is still there) and a marker post of the Sendero Local. The changing scenery during this short stroll, of the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra de Gador, the Mediterranean Sea and the Cerrajón de Murtas is really unique. On the way back you pass through Murtas which has a bar at the back of the church that serves good food.
Continuing the tour, we pass Mecina Tedel and Cojáyar. These two villages are connected by a waymarked Sendero Local, a local walk with a considerable height difference. (see details of this linear walk on the web of the Mancomunidad de los municipios de la Alpujarra Granadina)  The next village that we pass is Jorairátar. This a picturesque village with a pleasant bar, La Maruja, right at the entrance. It has a very interesting museum, but this can only be visited on appointment. To get back to ´El Paraje´ from Jorairátar, we follow the A-4348 back to Cádiar. This Contraviesa tour of 66 kilometres is highly recommended in February and March when the almond trees are blossoming (see our post Almond blossom in February).
This tour is also a suggestion for people who like road biking.



P.S.The small white dot at the far right of the photo is our casa rural El Paraje.

Related links: map of the Alpujarras.

Fiesta de la Cruz in Murtas 1 to 4 May 2010

Murtas is a pretty village in the Sierra de Contraviesa that celebrates la Fiesta de la Cruz. The festivities in honor of the patroness la Santa Cruz begin with ´novenas´ in her honor a few days before, but it is on 2nd of May when the silver cross is taken in procession from the hermitage that bears her name, to the parish church, where she is adored until the 4th of May, the day that she returns to the Ermita de la Santa Cruz.
Monday the 3rd of May there will be a holy mass at 12.30 hours after which the Santa Cruz surrounded by flowers is carried out of the church accompanied by the image of the patron saint San Miguel. They are carried trough the village for the ´estación´, the circular route that is done each year. The murteños experience their fiesta with a lot of devotion and emotion and it is much anticipated by many people throughout the year. During the procesion music of the band can be heard and the noise of hundreds of rockets that are fired. Some of these firecrackers and rockets are traditional vows, usually offered by people who make a request to the Santa Cruz, especially health-related issues and other demands, or out of gratefulness to the patroness. Apart from the mass and the procession, there will be various competitions, verbenas, coplas and migas.

Sendero Local La Solana in Murtas

A few days ago we checked out a Sendero Local in de Sierra de la Contraviesa. ´La Solana´ is a circular route of 4,2 kilometres that starts just off the road that links Murtas with Mecina Tedel. It offers magnificent scenery almost from the start. You follow a track that skirts round to the left of the Pico de Molino de Viento with views of the Alpujarra villages and the Sierra Nevada. Further along beautiful views towards the sea can be enjoyed on clear days. At the end of the route a small path takes you back to the village of Murtas. The number and diversity of wild flowers on this route is amazing this time of the year. In February when the almonds are blossoming it will also be a very pleasant stroll. The small circular walk is well signposted and can be done without the description from the publication of the Senderos Locales or the GPS track and map from the website of Alpujarra Turística.


Related keywords: Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, trektocht, standplaats vakantie, hiking, trekking, Berchules, B&B, hotel, wanderungen