Taiji, Qigong & Hiking in the Sierra Nevada/Andalusia 2025

What to expect

On the way from the Mediterranean to the Sierra Nevada National Park in Andalusia lies the Baranco del Rio Poqueira, a valley with three of the most beautiful villages in the Alpujarras.

The Alpujarras are rocky and wild, rich in mountain streams and stories. Over 1000 years ago, the Moors made the steep slopes usable for agriculture with terraces. This mixture of rugged wilderness and ancient cultural landscape characterizes the Alpujarra to this day.

You will travel by bus or car to the highest village, Capileira, at an altitude of 1350m. You will stay there and from here you will hike and relax with Taiji and Qigong. You will breathe deeply and the clear mountain air with the aroma of Mediterranean herbs will cleanse your head and body.

The long evenings are refreshingly cool even in summer and invite you to enjoy the sunset with an aperitif and a tapa. You will get to know the special atmosphere of the villages of the Rio Poqueira. The valley has been attracting artists and dropouts from all over the world since the 1970s, and people from very different cultures live together in friendship here.

A special feature of the Alpujarras are the „Eras“, which we come across everywhere on our hikes. The grain was threshed on these round squares paved with natural stones until the end of the 20th century. They are located on particularly beautiful terraces from which you can look out onto the peaks of the 3000m mountains and into the valleys all the way to the sea. The energies of mountain and valley unite on the Eras. Here we practice Taiji and Qigong, swing the fan and bring Yin and Yang and, above all, ourselves into harmonious balance.

Hiking/Walking

The hikes are easy to moderately difficult at most, and we hike a lot on small paths. They require fitness for 3.5 – 5 hours of pure walking time and around 200 to 500 meters of ascent and descent, as well as surefootedness (and good footwear). By arrangement, we can also do a more challenging tour, where there is an alternative for less experienced hikers.

The hikes are varied, sometimes we travel by public bus, or in our car if necessary, or we are picked up. We hike through gentle garden landscapes as well as through rugged valleys.

The highlight is the hike to the Tibetan monastery O Sel Lin. Since the hike is a bit more demanding, you can do the journey there or back, or both, in a minibus.

Taiji & Qigong

We practice every day for around 2 to 2.5 hours in different places, mostly on old threshing floors in the mountains, the Eras. You will learn simple but intensive exercises and exercise sequences. We let the crane spread its wings, explore the origin of light, let the dragon wag its tail, carry the tiger to the mountain, stretch and extend ourselves so that the energy can flow freely through body and mind again.

You will also all receive a Taiji fan, which teaches us to combine Andalusian lightness with deep roots.

If you want, you can also take part in a morning exercise with meditation early in the morning. On the day of the solstice there is also a midsummer exercise in the evening/night for anyone who wants to.

… to the detailed daily program

Workshop language is English.

Accommodation

Your accommodation is the Hotel Finca Los Llanos on the outskirts of Capileira. Great location, beautiful and tastefully furnished rooms, very good breakfast buffet. Even if you don’t have a room with a balcony, you can benefit from the large outdoor area with garden, bar, large swimming pool and beautiful view of the high Sierra. The hotel is just the right place to relax after hikes and to enjoy the slightly cooler evenings outside on hot days.

Arrival

By plane to Málaga and then by bus.
By train to Málaga or Granada and then by bus.

Registration

You can register here in January 2025.