Soportújar

Soportújar is a municipality in the region of the Alpujarra of Granada. It is located within the Sierra Nevada National Park, a unique natural environment worldwide.

The etymology of its name seems to come from Latin. Thus, Soportújar would mean "place of arcades." The reality is that despite this, there are no remains dating back to the Roman period. The oldest remains actually date back to the 13th century, from the Muslim period. With the Christian conquest, the majority of the population ended up converting. Two centuries later, with the War of the Alpujarras in the 16th century, the Moors were expelled. Philip II then initiated a repopulation policy attracting people from the northern peninsula. This led to a series of popular tales about night rituals, witches and witches' sabbaths as a consequence of the arrival of Galician people. All this ties into the nickname for the inhabitants of Soportújar; "witches."

The Bewitchment Project, developed by the locals and the Town Hall, has highlighted several areas of the village. Through the thematic development of different spaces, the town has become a true tour featuring witches, dragons, and other magical elements. Two of the most emblematic viewpoints have been characterised and have acquired the names “Bewitchment Viewpoint” and “Witches' Sabbath Ground.” Other notable places include the Witch's Eye Cave, the head of the witch Baba-Yaga and her little house, or the wishing well.

The distinctive architecture of the Alpujarra accompanies all this "bewitchment." White houses, flowered balconies, and chimney hats make up the entire urban network. Uniquely, in this municipality in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, you will find the narrowest street in Spain. This street is known as "narrow lane" and is 50 cm wide.

Moreover, at the Watchtower of Soportújar, 1600 metres up, lies the O'Sel Ling Buddhist Centre. A retreat place inaugurated by the Dalai Lama himself over three decades ago. It is open to the public and is probably one of the most important retreat places in Spain.

Being part of the Sierra Nevada National Park, Soportújar offers a series of interesting routes and trails. For instance, the Transnevada Mountain Bike route or the Sulayr Trail. A way to explore an incredible natural space in the heart of the Alpujarra and visit other nearby villages of equal interest such as Bubión, Capileira, Pampaneira, Cáñar, or Lanjarón.