Yegen: Mountain Trails and Local History
Accommodation in Yegen
Landscape
Yegen lies on a gentle mountainside where fruit trees and poplars grow. Several small streams flow down this slope. From Yegen, there are views of the Sierra de Lújar and the Contraviesa. On clear days, the view from there extends as far as the sea.
File:Espagne Les Alpujarras Yegen - panoramio.jpg
Photo: rene boulay via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hiking Trails
The Sendero Gerald Brenan begins at the writer’s former house, continues from there through Yegen and ends at the Fuente Camellona. From the Fuente Camellona, the same trail descends to the Peñón del Fuerte. Yegen’s traditional acequia irrigation system has been preserved for almost 800 years. The Sendero de las Acequias begins in the Plaza Vieja quarter in the upper part of Yegen. It passes by the Balsa del Castillo basin. It then continues in the direction of Castañías. The trails around Yegen pass through densely vegetated areas with wild fruit. These areas include centuries-old chestnut trees. Numerous bird species live there. The Sendero Las Encinas connects Mecina-Bombarón and Yegen. The route is five kilometres long and passes through the Sierra landscape. Ruta G is a circular route. Its start and finish are in Yegen. Ruta G reaches the boundary of Sierra Nevada National Park. The municipality’s trail network is signposted and considered easy to follow.
The routes described differ in their course: the Sendero Gerald Brenan connects the writer’s former house, Yegen, the Fuente Camellona and the Peñón del Fuerte. The Sendero de las Acequias runs from the upper part of the village past the Balsa del Castillo basin in the direction of Castañías. Ruta G returns to Yegen as a circular route, while the five-kilometre Sendero Las Encinas runs between Mecina-Bombarón and Yegen.
Village Character and Culture
The English writer Gerald Brenan lived in Yegen for seven years and wrote the work “Al Sur de Granada”. Traditional Alpujarran houses shape the appearance of Yegen. These houses have two or three storeys. Their construction features include flat launa roofs, roof terraces and tinaos. In Yegen, the Iglesia del Dulce Nombre del Niño Jesús has an intricately crafted Mudejar wooden ceiling. Despite several renovations, the church preserves an interesting Mudejar wooden structure. It includes corbels with different designs.
Historical Evidence
The Peñón del Fuerte is an 11th-century fortress. The last Moriscos of Yegen sought refuge in this fortress. The Museo Fotográfico de Van Hannsen in Yegen contains numerous photographs. The photographs show exclusively the village and its inhabitants. They document Yegen’s history from 1959 to 1989.
Another place at the same higher level is Mecina-Bombarón.
Road Route
The road route to Yegen leads via Laroles, Mairena, Mecina Alfahar and Válor.
To the higher-level travel overview: Alpujarra De La Sierra.
