Sierra Nevada (we're talking the Spanish original here, not the Californian copy!) comes in to its own for full-on vacations in Spring, as its proximity to the Costa Del Sol on Spain's Mediterranean Coast makes it easy to ski here in the morning and hit the beach in the afternoon. The resort is the most southerly on the European mainland, but is also located on Spain's highest mountains. Recent snow falls have brought snow depths up to a metre (40 inches) at the top of the ski runs and another six inches is forecast this week. This is also one of Europe's leading snowmakers, so it is looking good for the season to continue through April. The best skiing is at the top of the mountain however, and cover at resort level, 3,500 vertical feet below, is less impressive and a less definite bet in to April, there's only about four inches there now. Overall about 60 percent of the 50 plus miles of ski runs are open served by nearly all of the 19 lifts.