Sierra Nevada

Now I'm going to tell you about a trip in the trip that originally came from an article in Swedish Golf-magazine many years ago and we decided in 2016 to do it in connection with one of us filling even. It is just under 4 hours drive to the Sierra Nevada. We traveled down on December 20 and celebrated a bit of Christmas, so that on Christmas day we packed boots and ski clothes in the rental car and steered the pack south.

 

The way there

That time we chose to drive all the way along the Mediterranean Sea to turn up at Almeria. It is a bit faster to let the GPS decide. Then it takes the route around the top via Granada. It is a very spectacular drive because you basically see the sea all the time. On December 25, we had 19-20 degrees on the meter all the way to Almeria where we took a break in the sun and sweated. From there it is a serpentine road upwards for approx. 35 minutes. There is nothing - absolutely nothing - to indicate that you are on your way to a skiing holiday. No snow, still close to 20 degrees, blue sky and sun. After 20 minutes on the way up the outside temperature drops quite quickly and 10 minutes later the GPS says that it is 5 minutes to the destination. Then more or less a snow edge appears in the terrain and we slowly enter a fairytale winter landscape. The forest opens up and the three floors of Sierra Nevada city lie before us.

 

The accommodation

We have a bit of work to do to get to our hotel. Winding roads up through the city lined with parked cars. We have booked the hotel through Hotels.com and it is called GHM Monachil. An affordable hotel that offers half board with a buffet for breakfast and dinner. It also turns out that you can park your car in their parking lot for a fee. The car is not needed during the stay. You can get to the center with a chair lift - both up and down. Skiing goes to and from the hotel. A truly luxurious arrangement. The hotel has its own ski rental and an après ski bar. Not the most luxurious room in the world but the rest is superb.

 

The skiing

The town is located at 2,100 meters and the highest point is 3,400 meters. The skiing is easy to medium depending on where you choose to go. The lift system is adequate for 5 days of skiing. There are many different slopes to choose from. The snow falls either at night with sun during the day - or there is a snowstorm for 2-3 days. It is good to learn which bottlenecks you should not be at at certain times. The Spanish are not as good at having restaurants on every hill, but there are a few.

 

All in all

Svensk Golf's plan was that in April you can go skiing in the morning and then go down towards the Mediterranean to a golf course, have lunch and play 18 holes in the afternoon - to finish with a swim in the Mediterranean. To travel down to your Spanish house for a few days - then take a little ski trip for 5 days and then finish with New Year's celebrations, back in the Spanish house - it is highly recommended.

 

Text & image: Måns Löfgren, SkyBlueMedia