Sierra Nevada – Ski Resort, Mountain Trails and History

The Sierra Nevada winter ski resort comprises 112.5 km of ski terrain that can be prepared or skied, spread across 134 pistes, and has Spain’s greatest skiable vertical drop at 1,200 m.

Part of the Sierra Nevada ski resort, including the facilities or complexes of Pradollano and Borreguiles, lies within the municipality of Monachil.

Winter sports

The Sulayr Snowpark is a freestyle area for snowboarders and freestyle skiers.

The ski resort also has a cross-country ski trail or course.

The Borreguiles area has beginner slopes recommended for people skiing for the first time.

Mirlo Blanco is an amusement park at the bottom of the El Río slope, a few metres from the Pradollano settlement.

Trineo Mirlo is a rail sled attraction set in the high-mountain landscape.

Tickets for the activities at Mirlo Blanco and for Trineo Mirlo are available online or from the ticket machines in the Mirlo Blanco area.

The Montebajo sports club in the centre of Pradollano has a heated swimming pool with a retractable roof.

Summer activities

In summer, two lifts connect Pradollano at an altitude of 2,100 m with an area near the summit of Veleta at approximately 3,000 m: a cable car and a chairlift.

The ski resort offers a guided route from Borreguiles via Laguna de las Yeguas to Lagunillos de la Virgen, passing through particularly interesting areas around the resort.

The guided route starts at the upper station of the Veleta chairlift and descends towards Laguna de las Yeguas; its average gradient is 11%.

The guided interpretive route from Borreguiles to Laguna de las Yeguas is adapted for all target groups and proceeds gradually at a relaxed pace.

The ski resort offers unguided hiking routes on which the mountain landscape of Sierra Nevada can be explored freely.

The ski resort’s summer activities include e-bike routes on roads and trails with beautiful views, suitable for both experienced and inexperienced cyclists.

Astronomical observation workshops are offered in Sierra Nevada.

Nature and history

Sierra Nevada has been a nature park since 1989 and a national park since 1999.

Other destinations: Vegas Del Genil.

The winter sports tradition in Sierra Nevada dates back to the founding of the company Diez Amigos Limited in 1898.

In 1912, Diez Amigos Limited became Sociedad Sierra Nevada; it is considered a pioneer of winter sports in Andalusia.

Festivals and traditions

The veneration of the Virgen de las Nieves in the municipality of Monachil dates back to the 16th century.

The feast of the Virgen de las Nieves is celebrated in Sierra Nevada on 5 August.

The main event of the feast is a night-time pilgrimage from Pradollano to the Tajos de la Virgen at the foot of Veleta, passing through Borreguiles.

Local traces

In the Pradollano area, the Sierra Nevada potatoes known as “copo de nieve” were traditionally cultivated.

For storage, they were kept in pits lined with slate and covered with straw, rye stalks, sticks and earth.

The pits and the threshing floor of Prado Redondo can still be seen.

For the higher-level travel overview: Monachil.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Sierra Nevada: High mountains, hiking and skiing holidays, Province of Granada: City, Sierra Nevada and Costa Tropical, Skiing holidays in Andalusia: Plan Sierra Nevada and Granada.