Flavours & crafts
From the 'barco' grape to the wines of the Alpujarra, what this land gives.
The Andarax valley is a land of irrigated orchards, vineyards and age-old crafts. Here are some of the products that best tell its story.
Fruit of the Andarax
The famous "barco grape", a table variety with huge bunches and round, light-green grapes. Inherited from Andalusi irrigation techniques, its cultivation enriched the valley in the 19th century, when it was shipped across much of Europe.
Winery
At the gateway to the Alpujarra Almeriense, Laujar de Andarax is one of the province's wine-growing hearts. Family-run, organic wineries craft high-altitude wines under the IGP Laujar-Alpujarra.
Oil mill
The mountain olive groves yield an intense virgin olive oil, the base of the valley's cuisine, from bread and oil to Alpujarra stews.
Nut
Almond trees blanket the slopes and blossom in late winter. The nut is at the heart of sweets and traditional dishes, such as the cold summer ajoblanco.
Textile craft
Rugs and blankets woven on the loom from strips of recycled fabric, in bright colours. A traditional Alpujarra textile craft still very much alive.
Craft
Almería is esparto country. From this grass, baskets, mats, panniers and espadrilles are hand-woven — an ancestral know-how of the arid southeast.
To buy local products, ask in the village and at the markets nearby.
See also
Frequently asked questions
The famous "boat grape", a table variety with huge bunches and pale green berries. Inherited from Andalusi irrigation, it enriched the Andarax valley in the 19th century, when it was shipped by sea across much of Europe.
Yes: in Laujar de Andarax, at the gateway to the Alpujarra, family wineries make highland wines protected by the Laujar-Alpujarra PGI.
Olive oil from the Sierra de Gádor, almonds from the Alpujarra, and traditional crafts: jarapas (loom-woven textiles) and esparto (basketry).
In the village itself and at local markets; in Laujar you can visit wineries. It is best to ask locally about sales points.
Closely: irrigation and the vine come from the Andalusi era, and the Ohanes grape marked the prosperity of the 19th century.