Sierra Nevada & Plateaus

Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland — a fact that surprises many. The interior consists of the Meseta, a vast plateau (600–1,000 m) crisscrossed by mountain ranges.

Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada in Andalusia is home to Mulhacén (3,482 m) — the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula. Here you can ski in the morning and lie on the beach in Granada in the afternoon (75 km away). The ski resort is the southernmost in Europe and open from December to April.

On the southern side of the Sierra Nevada lie the Alpujarras — white mountain villages with flat roofs (Moorish heritage), terraced gardens, and a way of life that has changed little for centuries. Pampaneira, Bubión, and Capileira are the best known, but there are dozens more.

The Meseta — Spain's Forgotten Center

The Castilian plateau is for many travelers just what you pass through on the way from Madrid to the south. A mistake: The endless fields of grain and sunflowers, the medieval towns, the lonely country roads have a harsh, quiet beauty. Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca, Toledo, Cuenca — the cities of Castile are among the most impressive Spain has to offer.

Other Mountain Ranges

• Sistema Central: Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra de Gredos north of Madrid — Madrid's recreational areas with granite rocks, ibex colonies, and medieval villages
• Sistema Ibérico: Little-visited mountain landscapes with spectacular gorges — the Hoces del Río Duratón (Segovia) with vulture colonies and the "enchanted city" (Ciudad Encantada) near Cuenca
• Sierra de Tramuntana (Mallorca): UNESCO World Heritage, with the GR 221 (Dry Stone Route) one of the most beautiful long-distance hiking trails in the Mediterranean