Centenary Olive Trees and the Witches' Village

It is good to start driving early because it is more than an hour and a half to the first destination. On the way, you will pass the Rules reservoir and dam and see beautiful mountain scenery from the road.

The first stop of the day will be in the village of Órgiva, considered the capital of the Alpujarra of Granada.
But the proposal does not focus on the village, but on a hiking route known as the Route of the centenary olive trees.
You can park your car in this area of the city, where bar Mirasierra is located.
The official route starts in the centre of Alpujara, but in front of the bar there is a path along which you can also take the route of the centenary olive trees.

The route of the centenary olive trees starts officially at the Plaza Alpujarra, is circular and lasts approximately 2 and half hours. On the way you will see an old oil mill, cross the river Chico and see the river Guadalfeo with its bridge.
You can see the route on wikilocs
You can also see the route on the official website
If you have any doubts or you can't find the signs to start the route, ask someone who lives there, they all know it.

After a hike, nothing better than a good lunch. You can choose a restaurant with traditional Alpujarran food. One such place is Mesón Viejo Molino.
A simple place, with an indoor lounge and terrace, which serves traditional, homemade food.
Open Hours: Monday - Sunday: 8:00 - 23:30.
After lunch, return for the car and get ready for the next destination: the Witches' Village.

Welcome to Soportujar, known as the village of witches. You can leave your car in the car park near the sculpture of the witch Baba Yaga.
If there is no space, you can retrace your steps and leave the car in the area of the Witch's Eye Cave and the enchanted bridge. If you leave your car there, take the opportunity to climb the stairs that lead to the cave where is recreated the place where the witches worked.
The proposal is to walk through the village to find and photograph the sculptures related to spells and witchcraft.

This is one of the most popular stops because as well as having a sculpture and fountain, it has a viewing platform. Get your camera ready because you are going to take a lot of pictures.

Another much-photographed spot is the magic broom (sometimes there are people waiting to have their picture taken).
If you continue walking through the narrow streets you will find other sculptures such as a dream-weaving spider, the magic cauldrons and an evil snake.

This street is considered one of the narrowest streets in the world. It is very close to the dragon fountain, another place to photograph in Soportujar.

While walking through the streets of Soportujar it is a good idea to stop for a coffee or a snack. As it is a small village, the offer is not very wide, but you will always find a place open.
Open Hours: Thursday - Sunday: 10:00 - 24:00 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday closed
Another site is Los Toneles de la Bruja. Open hours: Friday - Wednesday: 9:00 - 22:30 Thursday closed

To finish the tour, you can see the Baba Yaga Witch's House and the colourful house of Hansel and Gretel.
Remember to pay attention to the details of each place and read the signs, because they will surprise you.
Return to pick up the car and continue to the next stop: the small village of Pampaneira. Remember to drive with caution on the mountain roads.

Choose a hotel with good views of the sierras and a swimming pool to relax and enjoy the last hours of the day.

The itinerary suggests taking advantage of the last hours of the day to rest at the hotel and have dinner there. But if you prefer, you can also stroll around the village and have dinner in a restaurant such as Casa Diego.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00, 19:00 - 24:00.