Ferreira

This town is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and very near to the ski resort of Puerto de La Ragua. It shares its local jurisdiction with the La Alpujarra’s towns of Nevada and Bayárcal.

Ferreira is located almost entirely within the boundaries of the Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada and contains many great places for hiking, mountain climbing or for the simple enjoyment of nature, especially in spring, when the almond trees are in bloom.

Some must-see places include the area where the chapel is located, one of the most lush and attractive corners in the surrounding area, known locally as ‘El Castañar’. The Puerto de la Ragua is also worth a visit, as it is the only part of the northern slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada that could be accessed by horses and vehicles, and nowadays by cars. Snow permitting, you can also walk to Puerto del Lobo, which links Yegen with Aldeire, or to Puerto de Río Seco, which takes you from Capileira or Trevélez to Güéjar Sierra.

An Argaric necropolis was found at the foot of the hill of Juan Canal, proving the existence of this town as far back as Prehistoric times. Here, in addition to the graves, large storage jars, plates and other ceramic and metal objects were found. They are now on display in the Museo Arqueológico de Granada.

The rich mineral deposits, which give the municipality its name, also attracted the Arabs. The place is referred to by the chronicler Al-Idrisi in the 12^th century as a fortified place. In 1489, with the capitulation of El Zagal, it passed into the hands of the Catholic Monarchs. It later joined the Moorish revolt and was one of the places most affected by the war. Soon the Moors were expelled and the city was repopulated with settlers from other parts of Spain.

As in the rest of the region, excellent artisan cheeses, almond sweets and the popular Soplillos are made here.

A typical recipe is Choto con setas, made with fresh local game. Tasty sausages, hams and other pork products are also produced here. Occasionally you can enjoy wild boar meat.