What is the highest mountain in Spain's Sierra Nevada range?

Mulhacén is the highest mountain in Spain’s Sierra Nevada range. Its summit reaches 3,479 metres in Granada Province, making it the highest point on mainland Spain and the entire Iberian Peninsula.

The mountain belongs to the Penibaetic System and lies within Sierra Nevada National Park. Despite its great elevation, Mulhacén is generally reached by hiking rather than technical climbing, because several routes approach the broad summit slopes. The mountain’s name comes from Abu’l-Hasan Ali, the penultimate Nasrid ruler of Granada, known in Spanish tradition as Muley Hacén.

A frequent source of confusion is Spain’s national high point. Mulhacén is the highest mountain in peninsular Spain, but Teide on Tenerife is higher and is the highest point of Spain as a whole. Another nearby Sierra Nevada summit, Alcazaba, is dramatic and prominent but lower. The range is also notable for its long history of human use: its southern valleys supported settlements, agriculture and routes linking communities in Andalusia long before modern tourism developed.