Anyone who has never seen the silhouette of the Veleta peak from one of the corners of the Alhambra in Granada has missed one of the landscape compositions most beautiful and most photographed that exist in all of Europe. And it is that this mountain, whose silhouette is more than well-known, is without a doubt one of the most emblematic peaks for nature lovers.
The Veleta changes its face at every moment of the year. The colors it shows are very different in midsummer, when it becomes the playground of sports lovers such as cycling, mountain biking, climbing, hiking or mountaineering, which he shows off in the middle of winter, when the snow with all its majesty takes center stage.
This Granada mountain, without which the Sierra Nevada cannot be understood, rises to 3,396 meters, making it the fourth highest peak in Spain, behind Teide, Aneto and its brother Mulhacén. We are south of europe, but in a unique high mountain ecosystem, which is why the surface of Veleta is divided between the Natural and National Parks of Sierra Nevada. As a curious fact, we are talking regarding a mountain so immense in every way that the municipal terms of municipalities such as Monachil, Dílar, Capileira, Güéjar Sierra, Granada and even Órgiva come together at its summit.
El Veleta is a well-known mountain for all lovers of skiing and winter sports, since the Sierra Nevada ski resort is located on its slopes. A little more than 2,000 meters away is the well-known urban center of Pradollano, where the season that ends in the heights of Veleta begins. From a scientific point of view, all the possibilities offered by the Veleta peak are also taken advantage of, since the Iram observatory is located nearby.
The Virgen de las Nieves and in the background, the silhouette of Veleta Peak
One of the most important attractions offered by the experience of climbing to the top of this spectacular peak, are without a doubt the views it offers from its almost 3,400 meters of altitude. If we are lucky, and we crown it a day in which the weather conditions are good, a day in which there are few clouds, we will not only see the province of Jaén, the Sierra de Cazorla or the Serranía de Ronda, we will even be able to glimpse the Rock of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea and the mountain range of the Rif, North Africa.
Another of the advantages of the Veleta peak is that it can be said that it is a moderately accessible mountain. It is a summit that we can access relatively easily via road to see it up close. It is quite another matter to reach its summit, either by bicycle or on foot.
Height
Although many people don’t know it, the road that almost reaches the top of Veleta Peak is the highest road in all of Europe. In the whole of the European continent you cannot climb a paved road higher than in this corner of Granada. Thus, from Granada, the most direct route will be to take the A-395 road, since 50 kilometers separate us from the emblematic summit. We are going to gain a spectacular drop of 2,500 metres, which gives us the measure of the challenge we are undertaking.
In our private vehicle we can only go up to the place known as Hoya de la Mora -just the point where a spectacular stage in the 2022 Vuelta a España ended-, from there we will have to go up in one of the authorized vehicles who make the trip up to 3,200 meters of altitude, already very close to the top. Since we set out from the fertile plain of Granada, our eyes will witness the incredible changes that the landscape will experience in astonishment. Thus, the vegetation and the trees they will give way to a very different imagewith rocks and arid settings where the cold, the sun and the wind hit hard.
spectacular road
The road that leads to almost the very top of Veleta should be studied in all engineering history books, since it achieved what at first glance might seem impossible. It was the work of engineer Juan José Santa Cruz, who completed this project in 1935. A highway which in its final sections is not currently in the best conditions, since since 1999 it has not been accessible to private vehicles.
The road that goes up to the Veleta peak is the highest in all of Europe
The Veleta peak means in every way a true paradise for all sports lovers. Every year, thousands of people come to this place in Granada, attracted by the history and beauty of this mountain. To climb the Veleta You must have adequate physical preparation and plan the adventure well in advance and with plenty of information. We must avoid the coldest and hottest months, since we are in an environment in which the weather rules and you can change in just minutes.
In winter, the surroundings of El Veleta have the highest ski slopes in the entire Sierra Nevada resort, all of which are only recommended for the most expert people, as they are very difficult. In summer, sports such as hiking, mountaineering or climbingthey become the kings of these parts.
cyclist paradise
The Veleta peak becomes a true sanctuary for road cyclists, since climbing it on the back of a bicycle is one of the most impressive ascents that can be done in all of Europe. Is regarding a very hard port which can be climbed from several sides, although perhaps the most popular and interesting is the one that runs through the town of Güejar Sierra, and the old seminary of the Hotel el Duque. It is a climb of more than 42 kilometerswith an average slope of 6% and in its final stretch has the added difficulty of having to deal with the poor condition of the road.
In any case, whether to contemplate it from a distance in Granada, to climb its skirts by car, or to conquer it by bicycle; Veleta peak is an emblem of the Andalusian natural heritage. A mountain with personality, who does not forget everyone who has spent a few hours with her.