Poqueira

Bridge over the Rio Poqueira in Capileira.

The Río Poqueira is a short mountain river in the Spanish province of Granada. Its headwaters originate in the Sierra Nevada mountains at their highest Mulhacen and Veleta. It crosses the Alpujarras region in the south, then turns southwest and flows into the Río Trévelez just before this combined with the Río Guadalfeo.

The Rio Poqueira is formed by the confluence of the Rio Toril and Rio Naute 1,550 meters altitude. In the immediate vicinity is the hydroelectric power plant Central Eléctrica de Poqueira, the end point of water pipes which are carried down from 2100 m height. Just off one finds the abandoned village Cebadilla, which was built for the construction workers of the power plant. Further south, the river flows through a huge gorge, the Barranco del Rio Poqueira, at the slopes of the picturesque villages Capileira, Bubión and Pampaneira lie. The Moors during their reign numerous irrigation canals created that made the river water for agriculture available. Today, the region's economy is no longer dominated by agriculture but by tourism.

Through the gorge and partly along the shore of the Rio Poqueira often lead committed trails, so Capileira to the power plant and further along the Rio Toril, and Capileira about Bubión to Pampaneira and back. South of the river Pampaneira of canyoning athletes is used. It is especially popular this time the snow melts in the spring and summer after heavy rains.