Cáñar between Sierra nature and Alpujarran architecture

Mountain landscape and townscape

Cáñar showcases Alpujarran architecture and mountain nature: white houses, flat roofs and tinaos as characteristic arcades shape the townscape. A large part of the municipality lies within the Sierra Nevada Nature and National Park. The Cueva de Sortes is described as one of Cáñar’s two natural monuments and takes its name from a former settlement that has since disappeared.

Hiking trails around Puente Palo

From Cáñar town centre, a signposted path leads uphill towards the Sierra and reaches the Sulayr hiking trail after 9.8 km, following the Puente Palo forest track. The Tajo de los Machos y Cerrillo Redondo circular route starts and ends at the Puente Palo recreational area. It is considered very demanding and covers 19.60 km with 1,422 metres of ascent. For planning stages, this provides both a clear access route and a high-altitude circular trail.

Puente Palo is a pine grove surrounding the source of the Río Chico above 1,700 metres. The Puente Palo recreational area is located next to the Cáñar forest track on the right bank of the Río Chico at an altitude of 1,750 metres. The Robledal de Cáñar is a forest on the Loma de Cáñar that persists thanks to moisture rising from the sea. A route connects Casas de Tello with the recreational area and passes the Río Lanjarón, the Loma de Cáñar, the Acequia de las Encinillas, the Hoyas de Cabrera, the Robledal de Cáñar and the Casa Forestal de Cáñar.

A route from Cáñar to Lanjarón follows the Camino de las Viñas and passes through the Barranco de las Peás and the Barranco de los Jarales; it then follows the Camino del Mimbrón to Lanjarón. Dique 24 features a waterfall; one route passes between chestnut and walnut trees and the remains of old mills.

Church, museum and local traditions

The Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana was built at the end of the 16th century over an earlier rábita. It houses a Baroque altarpiece made of polychrome wood, created between 1753 and 1755, and has a Baroque organ built by Tomás Pabón in 1799. The Casa del Pueblo houses the Museo del Pueblo, the Aula de Música de Cáñar, a rehearsal room and a multi-purpose hall. The Mirador de África is located on its roof; on clear days, it offers views of the Rif Mountains in Morocco.

The Museo del Pueblo displays photographs of traditions from Cáñar, including Música de las Mozuelas and La Pelota, as well as the mechanism of the church’s first clock tower, dating from 1883, and esparto objects associated with “Pepillo el Bayaquero”. La Pelota is a local hand-played tradition: it is played against the eastern wall of the nave of the Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana. The Fiesta de la Música de las Mozuelas begins before dawn; young people gather at midnight to prepare for the serenades. At around 4 a.m., the nighttime procession passes through Cáñar’s narrow streets, where serenades are sung to unmarried women.

Local specialities include almond soup, fennel stew, migas and game dishes. Among the desserts, roscos, pestiños and buñuelos are highlighted. The Fuente de la Plaza de Santa Ana is a drinking-water fountain from 1883 with an octagonal layout, built from limestone blocks and fitted with four bronze spouts.

Getting around

The Mirador de Las Eras is located next to a rectangular threshing floor paved with stone slabs, south of the town centre. Cáñar can be reached from the A-44 via Lanjarón and then along the A-4132 and A-4201 roads.

Other destinations for your trip to Andalusia include Ítrabo, Villanueva De Las Torres, Dúdar, Huéneja, Moclin, Soportújar, Graena and Guadix.

For the overarching travel overview: Granada.