El Club · Capileira

The Pedro Antonio de Alarcón House-Museum is a museum of folk arts and customs located in Capileira, in the Poqueira Ravine (Granada), within a municipality designated as a Historic-Artistic Site. It is housed in a large, old townhouse owned by the municipality that retains features of traditional Alpujarra architecture, in a setting that is highly representative of the Alpujarra region of Granada. The space is dedicated to the life and work of Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, a 19th-century writer from Granada, and to the tangible heritage of the region. It was inaugurated in September 1972, on the occasion of the centennial of the author’s journey through the Alpujarra, and initially served as a Cultural Center and Artists’ Residence before becoming a museum in 1979. Inside, the museum displays household goods, tools, and everyday objects—many of which were gathered through donations from local residents—with the aim of recreating traditional life in the Alpujarra. The building is organized into two floors, each with two rooms—a layout characteristic of local vernacular architecture—and serves as a cultural resource that helps interpret the social and domestic history of Capileira and its region.

The Church of the Virgen de la Cabeza in Capileira is a parish church in the Alpujarra town of Capileira, in the province of Granada, dedicated to the town’s patron saint. It is located in the town’s historic center, surrounded by traditional Alpujarra architecture, and serves both religious and devotional purposes for the local population. Available historical records trace its origins to the 16th century, shortly after the Christian conquest of the Kingdom of Granada, on the site of an ancient mosque, although some sources indicate later renovations or reconstructions, particularly in the 17th or 18th centuries. Therefore, the exact chronology should be understood as that of an ancient foundation with phases of rebuilding, rather than a building constructed in a single phase. In terms of its architectural style, it is a simple, single-nave church, following the rural parish model typical of the Alpujarra region. The sources consulted highlight, within the church, the image of the Virgin of La Cabeza, considered the patron saint of Capileira, and the continuity of her veneration over the centuries as a central element of the town’s religious and festive identity. Its heritage value lies in the connection between the church, the history of Christian repopulation, and the local devotional tradition, as well as its integration into the monumental and landscape complex of Capileira, one of the most representative sites in the Alpujarra region of Granada.

Refugio Poqueira is a mountain refuge located in Capileira, in the Alpujarra of Granada, about 2,500 meters above sea level, on the southern slope of Sierra Nevada and over the Barranco de Poqueira. It is located in a very exposed high mountain enclave, with open views to the peaks and the valley's relief, and has about 100 places in bunk beds according to the official information available. Its main interest is landscape and mountaineering use: it serves as a base for tours around the Mulhacén, the Barranco del Poqueira and access routes from Capileira, as the path of the Cebadilla or Hoya del Portillo. The place attracts by the combination of high mountain horizon, alpine environment and the presence of fauna of summits, besides being a common point of overnight stay and support for hikers. From the environmental point of view, it is part of the system of shelters and accesses of Sierra Nevada, an area of high ecological and landscape value protected. Its location, next to the left bank of the Mulhacén River and in an area with a harsh climate, explains its relevance as a mountain infrastructure and as a reference in the guides and routes of the region. There is no specific local legend associated with the refuge in the sources consulted. What is clear is its role as a natural and rural resource of Capileira, for its integration in the high mountain landscape and for being one of the most recognizable landmarks of the access to the heart of Sierra Nevada.