The Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Spain's Sierra Nevada

Boasting a premium site at the tip of Pampaneira’s main square, Café Europa is a great place to start a day of sightseeing in the Alpujarras region. A breakfast or brunch of their excellent coffee or infusion teas, accompanied by a crepe or slice of homemade cake, should set you up nicely for the day.

Provided you’re not on a health kick, Café Delicas – in the unspoilt Alpujarran gem that is Capileira – is where to go for a decadent start to the day. Order one of their famous homemade cakes or delicious crepes to see what all the fuss is about. Delicas also does a mean cup of coffee and offers a good range of teas.

If you’re here to ski, trendy bar-restaurant Badia is a great place for breakfast or brunch (and for post-skiing drinks): it’s on the main square in the town of Sierra Nevada (also known as Pradollano) and has a terrace overlooking the ski resort’s glittering slopes. If you don’t feel it’s too early, try one of their legendary burgers.

If you’re hiking or cycling in the beautiful Cumbres Verdes (Green Peaks) area of the Sierra Nevada, pay the restaurant and bar at Hotel Zerbinetta a visit first. Here, you can enjoy a breakfast of coffee and tostadas on one of the stunning outside terraces, with great views of the Sierra’s western foothills.

Located on the main drag in Capileira, Restaurant Moraima is the village’s number one breakfast spot for trekkers taking on Mount Mulhacén, mainland Spain’s highest mountain. In a rustic, old-school interior, you can fuel up on strong coffee and huge tostadas, before embarking on a trek to the “Roof of Spain”.

If you’re driving up into the Alpujarras region from Granada, Lanjarón is a great place to stop for breakfast or brunch. It’s the first of this cluster of whitewashed villages you arrive at and Café Denebola – a stylish coffeehouse on the main drag – is your best bet. Customers here love the waffles, cakes and milkshakes.

We’ll leave it up to you to decide which has the best views of the Sierra Nevada’s ski resort – Badia (mentioned above) or La Visera, a smart bar-restaurant located across the street. It’s a popular spot for locals, who flock here during the ski season for tostadas and strong coffee before hitting the slopes.