Driving Instructions
From Talara take the road up to the motorway and turn left towards Granada. Exit the motorway at Junction 144 signposted Otiva. Cross the motorway and at the roundabout take the exit to Otiva, follow this road for about 12 klm. At the T junction turn left, once again towards Otiva. You will now pass the last of the quarries and the road suddenly becomes quiet again. Continue along the road for about another 10 klm passing the turning to Jayena, until you come to a wide junction on your right with the Meson los Prados bar on the corner. Pull in and park here. It makes a convenient place to call in and have a beer and tapa on your return.

Walk directions
Follow the very wide rough road from the bar. If you look carefully you will see that this bit of road was once a dual carriageway drive with street lamps, fountains and seats. It is now part of the GR7 long distance path and you are heading towards Portugal, but we turn off before then. After a couple of hundred meters take the track that goes down on your left through the iron gates with reindeer on. The large farm on your right is a school. Follow the track down and up and as you approach the next farm look into the woods on your right and quite often you will see deer. This farm keeps a large flock of pure black goats and they are generally about or foraging in the fields or hillsides. They also breed an unusual looking horse and once again they are either in the grounds or surrounding fields, they must be a upper class type of horse because generally they won't want to pass the time of day with you. Continue along this track as it opens out into farm land with good views back towards the Sierra Nevada mountains. Turn left at the T junction down the track coming up from your left. At this point on your right you have rolling farm land and on your left a drop into the Rio Verde and the Sierra Almijarra beyond. Go down this track a couple of hundred meters until you see a track going up to your left. Take this track and follow it up the Pico. About a hundred meters from the top look out for a path coming in on your left, this is your return path on the way down and is easy to miss. At the top of Lopera the tower is used as a fire lookout point and is manned in the fire season. On a clear day you can see Africa from this point, The steep sided valley gorge is the Rio Verde, another walk for another day. The far hills are the Sierra Nevadas and you can see the Quarries above Nigúelas and Durcal.
Go back the way you came, after one hundred yards take the track off to your right and follow this down, when you come to the wide T junction follow the path around to your right. Continue along the path until eventually you reach the Otiva road. Turn left here for about a kilometre, and a nice cool beer awaits in the bar. Up until recently this bar was run by one of the most miserable landlords you could find. He did not serve coffee and it was difficult to get a beer from him. But on recent visits the new landlord greets you with a smile and serves nice tapa and sandwiches.

Return Journey If you have not been this way before it well worth continuing on the road to Otiva, and onward to the coast at Almunécar and then returning to Lecrin via the coast road.