Sierra Nevada, Spain: skiing, Mulhacén hikes and how to get there

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The short answer

The Sierra Nevada is the mountain range just south-east of Granada, with the highest peaks in mainland Spain. What you do there depends on the season.

• Winter (about late November to late April): skiing and snowboarding at the Sierra Nevada ski resort, based in the village of Pradollano, the most southerly ski resort in Europe.
• Summer (about July to September): hiking in the Sierra Nevada National Park, including the climb to the Mulhacén (3,479 m), the highest peak on the Iberian Peninsula.
• How far from Granada: Pradollano is about 31 km from the city, 45 minutes to an hour by car or about an hour by bus. The Alpujarras villages on the south side are about 1 h 30 by car.
• Cost: an adult day pass costs roughly €55–69 in 2026/27, depending on the date. Summer walking is free, apart from the park shuttle bus.

Skiing at the Sierra Nevada ski resort

The resort is run by Cetursa Sierra Nevada and hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1996.

• Altitude: from about 2,100 m in Pradollano to 3,300 m near the top of the Veleta, so a vertical drop of about 1,200 m.
• Runs: more than 110 km of marked runs (the resort says over 112 km), from green to black, with about 20 lifts, including two gondolas from the village.
• Season: usually late November or early December to late April, sometimes into early May. The 2025/26 season opened on 29 November.
• Lift passes: prices change by date (lowest early and late in the season, highest at Christmas, weekends and holidays) and are cheaper online in advance on the official website, sierranevada.es. Expect roughly €55–69 for an adult day in 2026/27, or €41–55 for a half day.
• Ski hire: plenty of shops in Pradollano. Skis, boots and poles cost roughly €25–35 a day, premium sets about €45.

Beginners or experienced skiers?

We think beginners do well here. The gondolas from Pradollano go up to Borreguiles, a wide area of gentle slopes with ski schools and cafés. We’d book lessons ahead for Christmas, Carnival and Easter.

Experienced skiers get long red runs from near the top of the Veleta and a handful of blacks, though the terrain is less varied than in the Alps or the Pyrenees. In spring, expect hard snow in the morning and slush in the afternoon.

The upper lifts close in strong wind, and at weekends the resort fills with day-trippers. We’d ski on a weekday if you can.

Not skiing? We’d take the gondola up to Borreguiles for the snow, the views and lunch at the top.

How to get to the ski resort from Granada

By bus

Autocares Tocina (not Alsa) runs the bus from Granada bus station, platform 3, with a stop at the Palacio de Congresos. It takes about an hour: €5 single, €9 same-day return. Buy online or at the station, ahead at weekends in the ski season.

Outside the ski season there is usually one bus a day (09:15 up, 17:00 down). Skis and snowboards go in the hold.

By car

Take the A-44 ring road to exit 132 (Ronda Sur, Alhambra, Sierra Nevada), then the A-395 all the way up. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, more on a Saturday morning.

• Snow chains: after snowfall, chains or winter tyres can be compulsory on the A-395 and cars without them are turned back. We recommend carrying chains that fit, practising fitting them, and checking the road on dgt.es before you leave.
• Parking: the underground car park under Plaza Andalucía, in the centre of Pradollano, has over 2,600 spaces and lifts up to the gondolas; there are also open-air car parks. All of them charge in winter, and the resort website shows live occupancy.
• Hire car: see our car hire guide or compare car hire in Granada. Not every hire car comes with chains: ask.

Summer: the national park and the Mulhacén

Above the ski slopes, the high Sierra Nevada is a national park, with a line of peaks over 3,000 metres, glacial lakes and plants found nowhere else. July to September is the main hiking season, once the snow has cleared from the high paths.

The Mulhacén (3,479 m) is the highest peak in mainland Spain and on the Iberian Peninsula (only Mount Teide, in the Canary Islands, is higher in Spain). In summer, it is a long but non-technical walk. Private cars cannot drive the high roads, so most people use the park’s guided summer minibus, the Servicio de Interpretación de Altas Cumbres (SIAC). Seats are limited: book ahead by phone, especially in July and August.

From the south: Capileira and the Alpujarras

The easiest way up the Mulhacén. The SIAC minibus leaves from Capileira, by the park information point, and climbs to the Alto del Chorrillo at about 2,700 m. From there the summit is a little over two hours’ walk, about 5–6 hours on foot in all. This service runs from summer into the autumn, weather permitting.

Without the shuttle, drive to the Hoya del Portillo (about 2,150 m) and walk from there: about 20–25 km return and 7–9 hours. The staffed Refugio Poqueira (about 2,500 m) makes a good overnight stop for a two-day climb, but it must be booked.

From the north: Hoya de la Mora, above the ski resort

Drive or take the bus past Pradollano to the Hoya de la Mora (about 2,500 m), where a barrier closes the road. In summer a second SIAC minibus runs to the Posiciones del Veleta, below the Veleta peak (3,396 m). The Mulhacén is still a long day from there: allow 8–9 hours in all.

Easier walks

From the Hoya de la Mora, short walks lead to viewpoints over Granada, and in July and August the resort runs some lifts for walkers and mountain bikers. On the south side, the paths between the Poqueira villages make easy half-day walks.

Altitude and weather safety

• Weather changes fast. Summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms. We’d start early, be off the ridges by early afternoon, and check the AEMET forecast.
• It is cold at 3,000 m, even in August: bring a warm layer, a windproof jacket and a hat.
• There is no water on the high routes: carry at least 2 litres each, plus sun protection.
• Mobile coverage is patchy. Tell someone your route. The emergency number is 112.
• Outside summer it is a winter mountain, needing crampons, an ice axe and experience, or a guide.

The Alpujarras villages

The Alpujarras are the valleys on the southern slopes: terraced hills, chestnut woods and white villages with flat roofs and chimneys. The best-known trio is Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira, stacked up the Poqueira gorge. Further east, Trevélez, one of the highest villages in Spain, is known for its cured ham.

They are about 1 h 30 from Granada by car, or about 2 h 30 on one of Alsa’s few daily buses. We think a night in Capileira is the best base for the Mulhacén from the south. For a guided day out, see Alpujarras day trip from Granada and our other day trips from Granada.

Which side of the Sierra Nevada?

Where to stay: Granada or Pradollano?

We’d stay in Granada if you are also seeing the Alhambra, skiing for a day or two, or visiting in summer: there is far more choice, and evening life. See where to stay in Granada or hotels in Granada’s centre.

We’d stay in Pradollano for a ski week: you walk to the lifts. Prices peak at Christmas, Carnival and weekends, and many hotels close outside the ski season.

• Meliá Sierra Nevada: a four-star hotel on Plaza de Pradollano, next to the slopes, with a spa, ski rental and a kids’ club.
• El Lodge, Ski & Spa: a small luxury chalet-style hotel with ski-in, ski-out access to the Maribel run and a spa.
• Hotel Kenia Nevada: a four-star mountain hotel in the village, with a pool and spa, usually cheaper than the two above.

Tours and guided hikes

• Guided Mulhacén climb: day climbs from Capileira, or two days with a night in a refuge. Mulhacén guided hikes.
• Day trip from Granada: transport and a guide, for walks in summer or the snow in winter. Sierra Nevada day trip from Granada.

For ski lessons, book with one of the ski schools in Pradollano, or through the official resort website with your pass.

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