Andalusian apartment rental

Velez is steeped in history, and you can wander through the ancient streets to the recently restored XVI century Ulloa Muslim castle or look at the Casa Jardin Nazari, which was inspired by Grenada architure and is generally considered to be the finest example of Hispanic-Muslim gardens in Spain.

Velez de Benaudalla,is a charming white village in the province of Granada,close to the Costa Tropical (about 150 m above sea level) with more or less 3000 inhabitants. It has a priviledged location,as it is only 10 minutes away from the coast (above Motril and Salobreña) and 55 km from the city of Granada. The village is located at the foot of the"Sierra luxury" and surrounded by "Sierra de Almijara","Guájares" and"Sierra Nevada."

There are 2 important monuments to visit:

The Church Of Rosario

It retains its Arabic past the base, where the exterior walls and covered Christian,since it was reformed by Juan de Ulloa to take possession of the villa. He stayed intact 100 years. It was restored in 1992 by the city council and currently home to the Interpretation Centre Heritage Velez de Benaudalla.

The Garden Nazari,declared BIC,along with the Generalife is the only Islamic garden of its kind to be preserved in Europe. 4 elements are distinguished: Garden,House,Mill and canal. We could call it the garden of the senses.

The Castle of the fifteenth century which offers wonderful views of the town.

There are several watermills of oil,paper and wheat in this typical spanish town.

The village is only 10 mins from the coast with golf close by and is described as `the gateway to the Alpujarras`. Ideal for outdoor activities of all kinds. Granada is only 30 minutes away,which is dominated by the Alhambra Palace and its Moorish history. Granada lies in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalucia. The city has a population of 240,000 of which 80,000 are students so there is a vibrant nightlife not to mention the Tapas culture typical to this region that still thrives in the city.

The Sierra Nevada resort enjoys skiing at an altitude of over 10,000 feet,so skiers can see across the Mediterranean to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco,and with 360 days of sunshine during the year making it possible to go skiing and sunbathe on the beach in the same day.

Golf

There are four courses in and around the area within half an hour of each other.

These are:

Santa Clara Golf:
www.santaclaragolfgranada.com/

Medina Elvira Golf:
www.medinaelvira.com/

Los Mariscos:
www.moriscosgolf.com/

Las Gabias:
www.granadaclubdegolf.com/


Mountain biking

Cycling is a popular sport in the Lecrin Valley area due to the wonderful weather and picturesque and varied scenery. The Sierra Nevada is a dramatic, rugged and extensive mountain range, the highest in Europe after the Alps. It became a National Park in 1998. The protected area covers 86,208ha of torrential rivers, sheer-sided gorges, stony scree slopes, glacial lakes between snowy summits and,in the foothills of the Alpujarras, cultivated terraces of almond trees and vegetables.
http://www.ridesierranevada.com/
http://www.lecrinvalleycycling.talktalk.net/


Sierra Navada skiing

The Sierra Nevada ski resort is located at Pradollano in the Sierra Nevada mountains. This is the most southerly ski resort in Europe,the facilities are considered top rate and it has,therefore,hosted numerous national and international ski events. The Sierra Nevada ski resort has numerous runs of varying difficulties to satisfy all levels of skier. Natural snow is supplemented by snow cannons on some runs,and many skiers are pleasantly surprised to find that, because of its southerly position,the air temperature is usually warmer than other resorts.
Depending on the snow levels,the season generally runs from the end of November or the beginning of December until sometime in April.
http://www.britishskicenter.co.uk/snow_report.html