Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada

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The mountains of the Sierra Nevada, designated Andalucía’s second national park in 1999, rise to the south of Granada, a startling backdrop to the city, snowcapped for much of the year and offering good trekking as well as skiing from late November until late May. The ski slopes are at Solynieve, an unimaginative, developed resort just 28km from the city center. From here, you can make the two- to three-hour trek up to Veleta, at 3400m the second-highest peak of the range and of the Iberian Peninsula; this is a perfectly feasible day trip from Granada by bus. On 9-day Spain trips centered on Andalucía, the Sierra Nevada makes a practical Granada extension, adding mountain air, skiing, or a high-altitude walk while still leaving the itinerary focused on the region’s core cities.

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