Sierra Nevada by car: ski slopes, summits and the highest road in Spain

Getting to the Sierra Nevada by car

The gateway is Granada. From Málaga, take the A-45 north and then the A-92 east towards Granada — about two hours — then join the A-44 ring and exit onto the A-395, which climbs to the Pradollano ski resort in around 45 minutes. From the Costa del Sol and Marbella, count on roughly three hours door to door. The A-395 itself is the star: a wide, well-engineered mountain road that lifts you from the city to over 2,000 metres in half an hour of sweeping curves, with the peaks ahead and the vega of Granada spreading out behind you.

Winter driving: chains, forecasts and common sense

In winter the A-395 is kept open and ploughed, but conditions change fast above 1,500 metres. When the overhead signs and police checkpoints require chains, that's not a suggestion — carry snow chains or fit winter tyres, and note that many rental cars don't include chains by default, so ask for them when you book. Check the weather and the resort's road information before setting off, fill the tank in Granada, and leave margin in your schedule: on snowy weekends traffic up the mountain slows to a crawl. An SUV or automatic makes the climb noticeably more relaxed.

Parking at Pradollano

Pradollano, the resort village at about 2,100 metres, is where nearly everyone parks. There are paid open-air car parks and garages at the entrance to the village, a short walk or shuttle ride from the lifts. The catch is capacity: on winter weekends and holidays they can fill by mid-morning, after which you'll be directed to overflow areas further down — so aim to arrive before 9:00 on peak days. In summer the same car parks are quiet and you can also continue higher to the lay-bys around Hoya de la Mora, the trailhead area above 2,500 metres.

Winter: skiing on Europe's southern edge

The Sierra Nevada is Europe's southernmost major ski resort, and its altitude — slopes reaching well above 3,000 metres — gives it a season that typically runs from around December to April. Over a hundred kilometres of pistes cater to every level, and the light is pure Andalucía: skiing under a deep blue sky, sometimes with the Mediterranean visible from the top stations. The classic trick only a car makes easy is combining mountain and city — morning on the snow, then back down the A-395 for an afternoon in Granada and a tapas crawl in the evening.

Summer: hiking above three thousand metres

When the snow melts, the Sierra Nevada turns into one of Spain's great high-mountain playgrounds. From Hoya de la Mora, above Pradollano, trails head up towards the Veleta and across the national park; Mulhacén, mainland Spain's highest summit at 3,479 metres, is approached from the southern side. Note that the highest stretch of the old summit road is closed to private cars to protect the park — you park and continue on foot or with the park's shuttle services. Mornings are best: afternoons can bring heat haze and summer storms. Even non-hikers should drive up for the view alone.

Combine it with Granada and the Alpujarras

A car turns the Sierra Nevada into the centrepiece of a superb loop. Granada and the Alhambra sit at the foot of the mountain — an effortless pairing in a single day, and worth booking Alhambra tickets well ahead. On the southern slopes, the Alpujarras villages — Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira stacked up the Poqueira gorge — make a wonderful slow drive of whitewashed hamlets and terraced valleys. Heading back to the coast, you can return via the A-44 towards Motril and follow the coastal motorway west past Nerja towards Málaga and Marbella, swapping snow for sea in a couple of hours.

Practical tips before you drive up

The mountain asks for a little respect, even in perfect weather. Expect a serious temperature drop: it can be 15 degrees colder in Pradollano than on the coast, so throw warm layers in the boot even for a summer sunset run. The sun is fierce at altitude — sunglasses and sunscreen matter in February as much as in August. Fill up in Granada before the climb, carry water, and if anyone in the car is prone to travel sickness, the A-395's endless curves will find them out — a front seat and a steady pace help. Coming down, use a low gear and let the engine do the braking rather than riding the brake pedal for half an hour. In winter, keep half a day of slack in your plans: storms occasionally close the top of the road until the ploughs finish. And check opening dates before a ski trip — the season's start and end shift with the snow from year to year. The reward for that flexibility is real: few places in Europe let you fit high mountains and the Mediterranean into the same day.