Sierra Nevada (Spanish: [ˈsjera neˈβaða]; meaning "mountain range covered in snow") is a mountain range in the Andalusian province of Granada in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain: Mulhacén, at above sea level.
It is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts, in an area along the Mediterranean Sea predominantly known for its warm temperatures and abundant sunshine. At its foothills is found the city of Granada, and a little further south, Almería and Málaga.
Parts of the range have been included in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The range has also been declared a biosphere reserve. The Sierra Nevada Observatory and the IRAM radiotelescope are located on the northern slopes at an elevation of .
The Sierra Nevada was formed during the Alpine Orogeny, a mountain-building event that also formed the European Alps to the east and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Sierra as observed today formed during the Paleogene and Neogene Periods (66 to 1.8 million years ago) from the collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates.
Central to the mountain range is a ridge running broadly west-south-west - east-north-east. For a substantial distance, the watershed stays consistently above . This is sufficient altitude for the peaks to be consistently snow-covered.
On the southern side of the range, several long, narrow river valleys lead off towards the south-west, separated by a number of subsidiary ridges. On the steeper and craggier northern side, the valleys have less regular orientations. This side is dominated by the Rio Genil which starts near Mulhacén and into which many of the other rivers flow.
Geologically, the range is composed chiefly of soft micaceous schists, sloping steeply to the north, but more gradually to the south and south-east.
Highest peaks of Sierra Nevada | ||
Peak (> 3,000m) | Height (m) | |
Mulhacén | 3,479 | |
Veleta | 3,398 | |
Alcazaba | 3,371 | |
Cerro los Machos | 3,324 | |
Puntal de Siete Lagunas | 3,248 | |
Puntal de la Caldera | 3,226 | |
Pico de Elorrieta | 3,206 | |
Crestones Río Seco | 3,198 | |
Loma Pelada | 3,187 | |
Cerro Pelado | 3,179 | |
Tajos de la Virgen | 3,160 | |
Tosal del Cartujo | 3,152 | |
Pico de La Atalaya | 3,148 | |
Puntal de Vacares | 3,143 | |
Cerro Rasero | 3,139 | |
Tajos del Nevero | 3,120 | |
Raspones Río Seco | 3,120 | |
Tajos Altos | 3,111 | |
Picón de Jeres | 3,090 | |
Tajo de los Machos | 3,088 | |
Cerrillo Redondo | 3,058 | |
Juego de Bolos | 3,018 | |
Pico del Caballo | 3,013 |
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