ALPUJARRAS, or Alpuxaras, a mountainous district in the south of Spain, in the province of Andalusia, lying between the Sierra Nevada and the Sierras Lugar and Contraviesa and consisting principally of valleys, which descend at right angles from the crest of the Sierra Nevada. These valleys are among the most beautiful and fertile in Spain. They contain a rich abundance of fruit trees, especially vines, oranges, lemons, and figs, and in some parts present scenes of almost Alpine grandeur. The inhabitants are the descendants of the Moors, who vainly sought to preserve the last relics of their independence in their mountain fastnesses, and many of the names of places in the district are of Moorish origin. The principal villages are Lanjaron, Orgiba, Trevelez, and Ugijar, all situated at a considerable elevation—the highest, Trevelez, being 5333 feet above the sea—and containing from 1500 to 4000 inhabitants.