Los Piedaos: Ten good reasons to consider all our seasons

Hot sun and welcome shade, burning sand and warm waves. To many visitors, Andalucia is summer. But there’s another side to the region’s character; fresher, greener and more diverse. From mid-September to the end of June, its pleasures can be both more peaceful and faster-paced, and there’s a joyful sense of space under mostly sunny skies.

We’ve listed ten of our favourite low-season lures below. All of them can comfortably be experienced as one-day excursions, using lovely Los Piedaos as a base.

Trek the wilds of the Sierra Nevada from your Los Piedaos base camp.

Wild and wonderful walks

With its soaring mountain landscapes, green valleys and the cleanest skies in Europe, the area around Los Piedaos offers some of the most exhilarating walks to be found anywhere. We’re happy to share our favourite Alpujarran walks and most experienced guides with you:Europe-walking-tour; plus trekking and mountaineering trips with Spanish Highs Mountain Guides, a trusted local team.

Horse trekking in the Alpujarras

A unique horse trekking centre based in the heart of Andalucia. Sarah Vesey has run Caballo Blanco with great success since 1993. With happy horses and trails to suit everyone from beginners to seasoned trekkers, Sarah’s good nature is as consistent as the Andalucian sunshine!

Granada in a Moorish mood

With the Alhambra at its heart, Granada’s Moorish past is woven like a fine gold thread through the tapestry of this bustling European city. Take a day out to pamper yourself: visit one of the city’s two elaborate Arab baths or hammams, then eat like sultans at the most authentic Moroccan restaurant in town, Arrayanes . End your afternoon in a fragrant teteria, an Arab-style teahouse nosing through Egyptian rose, mint and cinnamon, violet or bergamot tea and toying with tiny sugar-enamelled pastries.

Lovely fresh sardines grilled on an open fire

Seafood and sunshine

In less than an hour's drive from the rugged Alpujarras, you could be savouring fresh fish and seafood under a warming sun at a beach-side chiringuito grill. Try El Peñon a restaurant perched on the edge of a rocky outcrop, or the neighbouring La Bahia both in laid-back Salobreña

Winter sports in the Sierra Nevada

From December to April the Sierra Nevada is one of Spain's most popular ski resorts. With more than 300 days of sunshine in Andalucia, it'squite possible to ski in the morning and sunbathe on the beaches of the Costa Tropical in the afternoon. See also our own page of information on skiing and walking in the Sierra Nevada.

Tapas-dance through Granada

Granada - the city and the region - is one of the last bastions of good-value tapas in Spain. Why not take a lunchtime or evening tapas tour with a savvy Scots-and-Spanish speaking guide and party like real Granadinos!

Holiday househunting

The quieter months are a perfect time to connect with your ideal home in the Alpujarras and Granada region. The cooler days and woodstove-perfumed nights can expand your perspective - love the place off-season and chances are you'll love it all year round! We can also recommend AlpujarraConect , friendly and knowledgeable local experts in every aspect of buying property and making a new life in Spain.

Easter - passion and pageantry

Whether you sway with the emotional crowds at the splendid processions in Granada, or become part of Lanjarón's miniature but much-loved 'Crossing of Jesus and Mary' ritual, incense-wreathed Holy Week celebrations will transport you to Spain's mediaeval past.

Climbing expeditions...by car!

April to mid-June, mid-September and early November offer the perfect weather conditions for driving the serpentine roads of the high Alpujarras. The famous white villages cling to the dizzy slopes of the Poqueira Gorge like sugar lumps upset from a bowl. In Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira you can shop for quality artisan crafts and feast on some of the best jamon serrano in Spain.

Images of Granada: photo-trekking

Off-season months are perfect for fruitful photo-treks through Granada's beautiful city and countryside. The architectural treasures of the historic city. The clouds of almond blossom from January to March. We can provide practical itineraries, or, for a reasonable fee, a guide in the form of professional photographer Fred Shively Just bring fresh legs and a hungry camera.

Feeling tempted? . Take a look at our low-season rates and book into the 'other' Andalucia today!