These mountains are part of 12 municipalities, all belonging to the province of Granada and Malaga (Alhama de Granada, Arenas del Rey, Jayena, Otivar, Alcaucin, Canillas de Aceituno, Canillas de Albaida, Competa, Frigiliana, Nerja, Salares and Sedella), and are characterised by the beauty of the scenery, specially if we take the mountain road towards Almuñecar. We would recommend to take this road on the way back whenever you decide to visit Granada...this way, not only will you enjoy Granada, but also the Tejeda mountains, Almijara and Alhama, as well as passing through Otivar.
The name of these mountains comes from the tradition of finding Yew trees in the past, although there is only one Yew tree forest left today.
Alhama de Granada is the town furthest away from the park, but also the town with the most monuments, like the Moorish castle, the ancient Posito (cooperative), the Queen’s hospital, the Roman bridge and so much more to discover.
In these mountains, the predominant colours are white and grey, due to the abundant marble in the area. Although several different cultures converged in this area, the three mountain ranges have a clear Muslim influence with white villages spread out all around the valleys and mountains of difficult access. We’ll also find many ruins from the 19th and 20th century spread out along the paths and roads of the mountain passes.
As mentioned above, the name of these mountains comes from the Yew tree, which was very common many years ago in this area, and of which there are very few specimens left up in the higher areas. The presence of pine forests also stand out.
Amongst the fauna, the most well-known animal in these mountains is the Spanish Ibex, although we’ll be able to spot many other species, like different species of eagles and mountain birds, squirrels and even deer.
It’s important to remember that when using the mountain roads of this particular area, it’s highly recommendable to drive extremely carefully specially during the winter, roads around the mountain passes that connect the province of Granada with the coast aren’t very wide, and they are very popular routes amongst the cyclists.
From the capital city, take the Motril road and when you reach the 'Suspiro del moro' (sigh of the moor) port, turn right towards Otivar and Almuñecar, it’s well-known as the 'Carretera de la cabra montés' (the road of the Spanish Ibex). After about twenty-five kilometres down this road, take the turnoff to the right that takes you to the villages of Jayena, Fornes, Arenas del Rey and Alhama de Granada, passing by the 'Bermejales' reservoir on the way. On the other hand, if you decide to take the A-92 towards Seville, once you pass the village of Loja, you turnoff towards Zafarraya, reaching the very foothills of the Tejeda mountains.
On the coast road towards Motril / Almeria, you will reach Velez-Malaga and Nerja. In Velez you can turn off the motorway and drive up towards Alhama de Granada, easily accessing from this A-335 road the villages of Alcaucin, Canillas de Aceituno, Sedella and Salares. If you wish to get to Competa or Canillas de Albaida, it’s best to leave the motorway via the village of Algarrobo, straight after Velez. For the visitor from outside the province, it’s best to take the existing turnoff in Casabermeja, before reaching the capital city, towards Velez-Malaga, reaching the ‘Viñuela’ reservoir, from where you can easily get to Alcaucin and the rest of the villages in the natural park.
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