GR7 in Spain Day 5: Pitres to Capileira
6 miles
1500 ft of elevation up and 800 ft of elevation down
We had a slightly later start on Day 5 of the GR7 as we were not trying to cover as many miles.
I had a second loop hike above Capileira in reserve in case we arrived with a lot of steam still in our engines, but after the long slog of Day 4, we were all more than content with a shorter day.
A little rain was predicted in the morning with heavier showers in the afternoon. We hoped to be done hiking for the day before any heavy rain arrived.
It started to sprinkle a bit on us as we left Pitres.
However, as soon as we put on our rain jackets and pack covers, the rain stopped.
We had a steady climb out of Pitres and then a meandering wander on the trail towards Capileira.
Capileira is the highest of three villages in the Poqueira Gorge, the other two are Bubion and Pampaneira. We would descend part of the way into the gorge today to Bubion, then climb to Capileira.
Then on our final day we would hike down the opposite site of the gorge to Pampaneira and on to our final stop on the trail, Soportújar.
When we got to a big rock formation called Peña de Angel, we could see down into the Poqueira Gorge.
It was fun to be able to see our destination so early in the day, especially since we had opted not to carry lunch.
We descended quickly into Bubion and started to look for a food spot.
These three villages are so high that they are consistently colder than the lower villages we’d been through.
But we were grateful that the heavy rains had stayed away.
In town there was not a lot open. The restaurant I had picked out would not be open until 1pm, so we found a coffee shop that was still serving breakfast and just starting to have some lunch on offer. The owner told us there was a vegetable soup on offer, which several of us ordered.
The Spanish tortilla I was hoping to have for lunch was not an option, so I asked if it would be possible to just have hard-boiled eggs.
It’s unusual to have eggs for breakfast in Spain, but I’ve started asking if it’s possible to have hard-boiled eggs. I have found this off-the-menu request to be more likely to be accommodated than if I ask for eggs cooked some other way.
Everyone else said they also wanted an egg. The waiter was a little taken aback when I asked for six hard boiled eggs, but he brought them to me anyway and then was relieved that I was sharing them with friends.
We also had more cafe con leche of course.
We left Bubion happily fueled up for the last mile or so of our hike up to Capileira.
The sun even came out for a little while as we made our way up the hill. Part of the trail had washed out from heavy rains in early March so we walked some on the road. One side of the road had fallen away down the side of the hill, reducing the traffic to one lane.
But we found our way through a small wood and over the road into the next town up.
Even though Treveléz is officially the highest village in the Alpujarras, somehow Capileira feels higher. The views down the gorge make it feel like you are way up high.
And the village feels like a remote, far away place.
I loved all the villages we visited on this walk. They each had their own charm. But I think if I had to choose one as my favorite, it would be Capileira. Maybe it was just that we arrived here earlier in the day and had more time to enjoy it.
Almost as soon as we got into town, it started to rain harder. So we checked into our rooms and then went to find a warm spot to enjoy being out of the weather.
We found a bar around the corner where we posted up for the afternoon playing cards before going back to our rooms for naps before dinner.
Before dinner we did a little shopping in the small village. There were beautiful handmade rugs and baskets for sale along the main street.
At dinner, I asked for salad and was grateful for some lettuce with my other pickled veggies from jars. These veggies are a standard part of mixed salads in Spain, especially at this time of year. Spring had not quite reached these high villages.
The rain was still falling when we walked back to our rooms, but the usual end-of-dinner offerings from random, unmarked jars of spirits kept us warm. Capileira’s offerings came in lemon or coffee flavored. Both were delightful.
Even with the short day, I fell asleep quickly. I slept hard in this sweet village perched high on a hill.
I could not believe we only had one more day of walking! The week had gone by so fast.
This is the fifth in a series of posts about hiking the GR7 in Spain in the Alpujarras. Many of the photos come from my fellow hikers: Kristie, Eve, Zoe, Alexis and Kelsy! I’m super thankful to them for trusting me to lead them on this adventure.
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