Pampaneira is the first of three white villages that cling to the sides of the Poqueira gorge, and it looks like something from the Atlas mountains, which is not an accident. The houses are flat-roofed cubes, whitewashed every year, with chimneys shaped like little pots, and their roofs are made of a grey clay called launa, laid over slate and beams, a building method brought from North Africa by the Moors. The village is steep, with narrow alleys and stepped streets, and the sound of running water from the channels that bring meltwater down the mountainside is everywhere.
The Poqueira gorge is dramatic. The river tumbles from the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada, including Mulhacén, at 3,479 metres the highest mountain in mainland Spain, through a deep, terraced valley that has been farmed for a thousand years. Almond, chestnut and walnut trees cover the slopes, and the terraces are watered by a network of channels called acequias, a system laid out by the Moors. In spring the almond blossom is white and pink, and in autumn the chestnuts turn gold and the villagers gather the nuts.
The village is known for its weaving, and in several shops you can see women making jarapas, the bright, striped rugs of the region, on old wooden looms. Cured ham, sausage and honey are sold in the little shops, and a few small restaurants serve local dishes such as plato alpujarreño, a hearty plate of fried potatoes, ham, eggs and sausage. Above in Bubión stands a Tibetan Buddhist centre, an odd and rather lovely presence on a hillside of whitewashed houses.
The road from Órgiva to Pampaneira is a joy, climbing in bends through terraces and olive groves, with views across the valley. It is narrow and steep in places, with little room to overtake, and coaches and cars come down the other way, so patience is wise. The surface is usually good, but the heat of summer can soften the tarmac in places and winter snow may linger on the higher sections. Parking in the village is limited, so aim for the car park at the entrance and walk. Pampaneira has fuel in none of its streets, so tank up in Órgiva, about seven kilometres away. Spring, for the blossom, and October, for the chestnuts, are the best times.