We had an active yet relaxing stay in Capileira, a small village located high in the Sierra Nevada mountains in an area called Alpujarra. On Friday, we arrived and took in the stunning views, enjoyed a delicious feast at a local restaurant, and spent time relaxing by the pool, mentally preparing for the workouts to come.
The view of the mountains from our hotel in Capileira. We made the most of the terrain with early-morning jogs and late-night strolls through town.
On Saturday morning, we took a two kilometer walk downhill to a ranch in the neighboring town, where we rode on horseback over a rocky, winding path. This was a challenge for most of our group, as most of us had only ridden sporadically or not at all, but it was a good learning experience and the views certainly did not disappoint!
Daniel, our fearless leader, is luckily very comfortable on horseback.
We split into two groups to make this activity more manageable. Here, group two is all smiles after a challenging but fun ride up and down the mountain!
After the horseback ride, we walked back to Capileira (all uphill this time) and then dined in small groups at local restaurants around town. We also discovered an artisanal ice creamery on the main thoroughfare that quickly became a group favorite, and included a range of creamy chocolate options, as well as some surprisingly delicious sugar-free options.
In the evening, we headed off for flamenco lessons at a local studio. The students learned a little about the history of flamenco from our lovely teacher, Cristina, before she launched into the unique rhythmic patterns and clapping techniques that are so emblematic of this style of dance. Regardless of skill level, the kids loved learning how to clap and tap and dance along to the beat, and many said it was a highlight of their stay here.
Getting into the spirit of Spain with a flamenco lesson in Castellano!
Learning different clapping techniques from Cristina, our lovely dance teacher.
On Sunday, we departed bright and early for a hike to the summit of the tallest peak on the Iberian peninsula, el Mulhacén, which stands at 3,478 meters above sea level. Luckily, we were able to take a bus more than halfway up the mountain, so we began our daylong trek at about 2,700 meters, and then hiked up (and down) the remaining 778 meters to the top of the mountain.
Crowning achievement: making it to the top of continental Spain with a smile!
Leaders of the pack! During both ascent and descent…
On the hike, we saw wild mountain goats, experienced the strange physical effects of pressure change at high altitude (such as the air trapped inside of our water bottles expanding, not to mention the thinning oxygen levels making normal movements more challenging), and a few bright blue lagoons nestled into craters near the top of the mountain. We enjoyed pretty great weather on the mountain, and although it wasn’t quite clear enough, our guide pointed to where Algeria and Morocco could be seen off in the distance.
Then, on Monday morning we made our way to Almuñécar, on the Costa del Sol (and indeed, it is quite sunny here). But more on that soon!
Hasta entonces,
Camila y Daniel