An album of Granada’s landscapes would challenge even the most ambitious and insatiable photographer, who it would take a lifetime to capture every breathtaking scene hidden within the province. From inland beaches to rugged mountains with profiles reminiscent of distant continents, from steelworks with renowned pedigrees to valleys carving green scars through desert terrain, from placid reservoirs to rushing streams with age-old medicinal properties—Granada has it all. These scenes remain as vibrant and captivating as ever, their colours undimmed by the passage of time.

In the north, the Gor River slices across a desert, leaving fertile land in its wake and offering a brilliant green panorama. It’s even more spectacular from a bird’s eye view: the steep slopes of the Gor Valley reveal prehistoric burial mounds—the largest concentration in Spain, with 240 Neolithic dolmens scattered across a dozen necropolises. For visitors looking to pair stunning scenery with a bit of learning, the Gorafe Megalithic Interpretation Centre is an ideal stop.

Just over half an hour from Gorafe in the Granada Geopark, water meets the sky at Los Majuelos beach and its picturesque view of the Negratín reservoir’s northern shore. In Freila, this spot turns dreams into reality. At water level, with the badlands in the background, visitors can let their gaze and imagination wander along the dusty roads of Granada’s desert.

Spain reigns supreme in the European Union when it comes to reservoirs, boasting over 1,200. The province of Granada significantly contributes to this ‘championship title’. In the northern lands of the Huéscar region, the San Clemente reservoir offers another natural wonder worthy of extra space on your camera’s memory card. This pocket of clear blue waters is surrounded by a karst landscape dotted with countless caves and springs. Just a few kilometres from this picturesque spot lie two points of interest: the Carlos III Canal and the Puente de las Ánimas (Bridge of Souls), both less than four kilometres from the reservoir.

Sierra de La Sagra - Pantano San Clemente - IMG_1942-A A3.jpg

For our next destination, we need to shift our compass: while still focusing on water, this time it rushes swiftly through narrow paths surrounded by forest. It emerges from stone stained a rusty red due to its chemical composition. This is Fuenteagria, in the Alpujarra town of Pórtugos. Its waters gained fame in 1800 when the Academy and Athenaeum of Medicine in Paris recommended them for their medicinal properties. This legend lives on in the area and among its visitors. Fuenteagria’s beauty is enhanced by a feature its waters have created called El Chorreón, a small grotto featuring a waterfall.

Our tour concludes with a unique structure recently catalogued as an Asset of Cultural Interest: the Puente del Hacho over the Guadahortuna River. Built between 1889 and 1895, this bridge came straight from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop and stretches over 600 metres. Once the longest and highest in the Spanish railway network, it was part of the Linares-Almería line for transporting ore.

_U4T0257 Puente del Hacho - Guadahortuna - Granada.jpg

Spanning a 100-meter-deep ravine, the image of the bridge is both imposing and instantly recognisable. Though no longer in use after being replaced by a more modern version in the 1970s, its beauty and historical significance remain.