A mix of rocky, arid slopes, woods, and terraced farmlands made fertile by melted snow water, it’s best known for its picturesque white villages. These cling to the verdant hillsides, their Berber-style flat-roofed houses recalling the area’s past as a refuge for Moors escaping the Christian conquest of Granada. These days, the villages host a mixed population of locals and expats, while towns in the lower reaches simmer with spiritual seekers, long-term travellers and rat-race dropouts. Well-trod footpaths criss-cross the hills, linking the villages and offering superlative hiking.