Murchas Castle and El Valle de Lecrin, Granada

This route drops through orange and lemon groves between the Rios Durcal and Torrente. The citrus crops are made possible by the Lecrin Valley's microclimate and the irrigation systems in place since Moorish times; you will see old and new on the route. The fruit is picked from Christmas to about June and around March there is blossom and fruit simultaneously.

After making a spur to the castle, the route returns through higher open country with views south over the Lecrin Valley, before dropping back to the village. The panorama extends left to right, from Pico de Caballo, the most westerly of the Sierra Nevada's peaks at 3,013m; over the reservoir of Beznar, to the masts on Lujar, 1,871m, beyond Las Alpujarras; then Ermita del Santo Cristo del Zapato, 1,052m, above Pinos del Valle and Giralda at 1,431m, the flat-topped landmark in the Sierra de las Guajaras; to Herrero also with masts, 1,503m, highest point in the Sierra de Albunuelas.

The hidden castle ruins are unknown to many of the locals and unseen by most of them. We had our house here for several years before discovering that the castle is visible from the main road above Melegís; from the eighth roadside pine tree below the cemetery, it is directly over the orange-processing plant.

Spain - Southern Spain - Granada - West Granada

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Walk id: 4312

Walk grade

Easy Walk

Length

4.4 Miles

Height gain

140 Metres

Duration

1 Hours 59 Mins

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