Dílar – Hiking Trails, Culture and Olive Oil

Nature

Ermita Vieja lies in a wooded valley surrounded by the high peaks of the Alayos. Excursions from Ermita Vieja allow visitors to learn about the Río Dílar ecosystem. Ermita Vieja includes, among other facilities, a classroom equipped with laboratory materials and a separate room for astronomy.

Other places: Otívar, Dólar, Venta Micena, Fuente Vaqueros, Víznar, Lentegí, Alfacar and Atarfe.

Hiking

The Sulayr Trail runs through the municipality of Dílar on the Cortijuela–Rinconada de Nigüelas section. The Sulayr Trail passes over the Collado Chaquetas, crosses the Río Dílar and continues climbing through the Umbría de la Dehesa. The section of the Sulayr Trail through Dílar is particularly interesting for its landscapes and botany and is home to valuable wildlife.

Trail 15 begins about 300 metres beyond the Ermita de la Virgen de las Nieves de Dílar. A branch of Trail 15 leads in just a few minutes to Piedra Ventana, a large perforated rock above the Padul fault; the trail offers views of the peaks, including Pico del Caballo. The Integral y Faldeo de los Alayos de Dílar circular route is 19.90 kilometres long, and ibex are frequently sighted along it.

Centro Ecuestre Los Alayos offers horseback rides, riding routes and riding excursions through Sierra Nevada Natural Park.

Culture

The Ermita de la Virgen de las Nieves de Dílar is the municipality’s most important religious building. It stands on the upper edge of Dílar and overlooks the Vega de Granada and the Sierra. The present Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves was built on the outskirts of Dílar in 1796 and is the only chapel where the image of the Virgin Mary and its worship have been preserved.

The Casa Palacio del Marqués de Dílar was built in the village on the site of an old medieval castle. According to legend, an inscription on a plaque at the Casa Palacio del Marqués de Dílar states that the castle was conquered from the Moors on 24 October 1491 by the first Marqués de Dílar. Casa de las Piedras on the Camino de la Ermita is a local landmark made of pebbles and stones from the beach.

Festivals and Crafts

The patron-saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de las Nieves, the patron saint of Dílar and Sierra Nevada, take place around 15 August and include, among other activities, dances, processions, fireworks and a pilgrimage. La Pastorada is a live, sung performance of the Nativity of Jesus and the adoration of the shepherds, staged after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

In Dílar, baskets, zurrones, fans, mats, ropes and traditional agricultural tools are made from esparto grass, among other items. The Fiesta de las Castañas takes place on 31 October; chestnuts are roasted, aniseed drinks are consumed and costumes are worn. The Mosto y del Libro festival takes place on 2 January; traditionally, the young wine of the year was offered for tasting in exchange for books for the municipal library.

Olive Oil

Quaryat Dillar offers visits at a family-run olive mill in Dílar, where visitors can learn about the traditional production of extra virgin olive oil. The Quaryat Dillar experience includes walks through centuries-old olive groves in Dílar and its surroundings. Quaryat Dillar offers tasting menus paired with its own extra virgin olive oil.

Getting There

Dílar can be reached via the A-44; take the Otura exit and then continue on the NO-5 towards Dílar.

Back to the main travel overview: Granada.