The Alpujarras straddle the border between Granada and Almería provinces, tumbling down from the snow-capped peaks of Spain's highest mountains to the warm Mediterranean on the Costa Tropical. Much of the area falls within the Sierra Nevada Parque Natural, home to one of the most important concentrations of rare wildlife in Europe. The hills, valleys and ravines are studded with white-washed villages featuring a unique style of architecture that's hardly changed since the Moors were expelled from here in the 16th century. The area is perfect for walking - the GR7 long distance route links many of the villages - and horse riding and mountain biking are both popular, as is skiing in winter on higher ground.
The Alpujarra (the "s" is optional, and in the local dialect, it’s silent anyway) was the centre of an important silk industry during the Muslim era, and was the last stronghold of the Moors after the fall of Granada. Most families still work the land and the region is famous for its superb jamon serrano, ewes' milk cheese, almonds, chestnuts and game. A long lunch followed by a siesta is still the norm, especially in summer, and a generous tapa is still usually given free with a glass of wine or beer in the village bars. It's not unusual to see horses and mules at work, and small flocks of goats create the nearest thing to a traffic jam you'll see in the villages.
The nearest airports to the Alpujarra are Granada (flights from London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona) and Almería (flights from London, Manchester, Munich and Dusseldorf, amongst others). Málaga airport has many more services and is about 2 hours away. There are bus services linking the villages, but a car is highly recommended.