The Sierra Nevada region is popular with both amateurs and professionals. The landscape has range and diversity here; you can do anything from hill walking to serious mountaineering.

There are many routes to choose from with varying levels of difficulty and distance. Some can be done in a few hours, others can take days. The higher you go, the cooler it gets - rewarding and refreshing during the hot summer months. You can still find snow up until late June, on the peaks above 3.000 metres.

Pico de Veleta, 3.394m
This is an easy walk. It takes approximately 5 and a half hours. (ascending 3.5 hours, descending 2 hours). The Veleta, in contrast to Pradollano, has remained largely undisturbed by skiing and the skiing industry. The landscape itself remains perfectly intact. Wild animals of every kind exist here. On the ascent, the views to the Mediterranean are spectacular. The best time to go is between June and October. A map of the Sierra National park can be obtained at the tourist office. It is also recommended that you bring compass and altimeter, as there are no markings on the route.

Laguna de la Caldera, 3.020m
This is also an easy walk, but slightly longer than Pico de Veleta. It takes approximately six and a half hours (ascending 4 hours, descending 2,5 hours).
The walk starts off at Hoya del Portillo destined for Laguna de la Caldera. Along the way you will pass through dense forests, wide green meadows and snowfields. Expect to see snow here on land above 2,800 metres. For many parts of the route there are unbroken views of the entire surrounding area.

From Laguna de la Caldera, experienced hikers can go on to climb the Mulhacen. If that seems like a bit too much you can extend the walk by carrying on to Veleta and eventually Pradollano. The Laguna de la Caldera is a popular walk, the best time to try it is from June to October.