We woke up early in the morning once again to catch our train from Seville to Granada. At about two and a half hours, the ride was another pleasant one and planted us in the city by 10:30 AM. We took a short cab ride from the train station to our hotel for two nights, Hotel Puerta de las Granadas. Wonderfully located and affordably priced, this boutique hotel was within walking distance of everything Granada has to offer, including the Alhambra (although the walk is uphill, and the city bus is a much better alternative). We booked the Premium Room because it provided a view of the Alhambra from the Juliet balcony, which we especially enjoyed after retreating to bed at the end of the night. Our room also had a large jacuzzi tub that Emily enjoyed. Overall, I’d recommend this hotel mostly because of its great location in Granada.
After dropping off our suitcases at the hotel, we walked to explore the city of Granada. To be completely honest, we decided to include Granada in our list of cities to visit while in Spain for only one reason, the Alhambra. But as we soon learned, this is a mistake that many travelers make. In fact, so many tourists come to Granada for a day trip to the Alhambra but miss out on everything else that Granada has to offer, which is unfortunate to say the least! Granada is quite charming and feels like it runs at a different pace than other more-visited cities in Spain. There is a distinct Islamic influence that immediately differentitates Granada, and a large university hosts a much younger local population.
We walked through the Alcaicería, a maze-like street market located in the same place as the city’s original bazaar. In addition to the expected touristy souvenirs, the Alcaicería is a cool place to see many fabrics, leather goods, and beautiful lamps for sale. Exiting the market dropped us off near the entrance to the Iglesia del Segrario, a church attached to the Granada Cathedral. Thinking we were entering the Cathedral, we visited this separate church which was impressive in its own right. The Cathedral was closed for an event, though, so we made plans to come back at another time. As we continued exploring, we stopped and had lunch at a local kebab joint, one of our favorites while traveling abroad.
The Albaicín and Sacromonte
Our first evening in Granada was one of our favortie throughout our whole Spanish adventure. We booked a Sunset Walking Tour that was a fantastic value for the memories that we made. Originating from an office just around the corner from our hotel, the tour walked us through the narrow, winding streets of the white-washed Albaicín neighborhood on our way to the Mirador de San Nicolás viewpoint. This neighborhood on the hillside opposite the Alhambra is a historic part of Granada, where its Moorish ancestry can be easily seen and felt. The beautiful Carmenes, a distinct type of home found only in the Albaicín, become more impressive as one traverses up the hill, and the colorful flowered trees emerging from the high-walled gardens are a gorgeous addition. All along the way, our guide pointed out interesting historic bits and told stories relating to the neighborhood’s past. There are many churches in the Albaicín, and almost every one of them stands on the grounds of a former mosque. Interestingly, there is currently only one mosque in the ancient neighborhood known for its Moorish roots, and this mosque was opened quite recently. But if you do locate the mosque, you’ll find a beautiful view of the Alhambra that rivals that of the San Nicolás viewpoint with a much smaller crowd to fight through!
We fell in love with the Albaicín during our sunset tour, and I highly recommend visiting for the fantastic views at sunset. But even at any time of the day, in my opinion, the Albaicín is a must-do while in Granada and takes the city from the day-trip category to the overnight stay group.
Our tour continued on to the Sacromonte neighborhood that is adjacent to the Albaicín. Sacromonte, the gypsy neighborhood known for its cave homes that historically housed the Granadian Romani, is now the hub of flamenco culture in Granada. As the sun continued to set and we continued to tour, the views from opposite the Alhambra continued to get more and more breathtaking, ultimately culminating is vibrant shades of orange and purple. I’ll never forget that sunset.
We snaked down the hill and ended the tour at Paseo de Los Tristes, a beautiful promenade that sits below the Alhambra on one side and the Albaicín on the other. Translated as the Promenade of the Sad Ones, this street and walkway is historically the location where funeral processions walked on their way to the cemetary up the hill. It is a beautiful place for an evening walk with views looking up to the Alhambra.
The Alhambra
Our second day in Granada was focused on the true reason that everyone visits Granada, the Alhambra. This palace and fortress dates back to the Nasrid dynasty of the 1200s and has seen more history over the years than nearly any other building in Spain. Because of this, we booked a small group walking tour of the Alhambra, gardens, and the summer residence, the Generalife. I would definitely recommend taking a tour of this magnificent place, as there are so many details to be discovered on and within its walls.
If we thought that we had fallen in love with the Alcázar in Seville, then the Alhambra in Granada made that love look like a teenage affair destined for heartbreak. The Alhambra is the most spectacular building I have ever seen, and every detail within its walls is a sight worth seeing. Our tour began in the public gardens as we walked toward the palaces. We first visited the Palace of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who built a Renaissance-style palace just outside the Nasrid palaces after conquering Granada in 1492. The circular interior of the palace is stunning and makes for a great photo opportunity.
We then entered the Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra, the main royal palaces of the Alhambra complex. There are too many rooms and halls to describe them individually, but below you’ll see photos from the Alhambra as we walked through each of the famed palace’s rooms. From room to room, one of the most amazing features is that each room is distinct from the previous yet blends perfectly in style. Don’t forget to look up! The ceilings of the Alhambra are easily some of the most fantastically crafted masterpieces of the entire complex. The beautiful Arabic calligraphy states “only God is victorious” and is repeated thousands of times throughout the Alhambra. As we learned, the fountains from this era are all calm, soothing water features with quiet streams as opposed to the loud and ornate fountains found in later, Christian patios and gardens. The Court of the Lions is truly breathtaking with its many columns aligned to perfection that surround the white marble fountain with its twelve lions standing at attention. And the views from the palace looking out to the Albaicín were awesome to see after how much we enjoyed exploring this neighborhood the evening prior.
The Generalife
Well worth a stop while you’re touring the Alhambra is the Generalife. This summer palace of the Nasrid rulers is a short walk from the Alhambra, offers great views of the Alhambra and the rest of Granada, and boasts some of the most beautiful gardens I’ve seen. On the way to the Generalife, we first walked by the Partal Palace, the oldest building in the Alhambra palace complex. With its beautiful reflection pond, this palace is another beautiful photo opportunity. We continued on through the gardens and wandered past pomegranite trees and large cypress, along a walkway full of roses of all colors that looked west to the Alhambra and made our way to the summer palace. The Generalife is much, much smaller than the Alhambra and will take you much less time to explore. But its gorgeous gardens and open-air rooms will allow you to escape to a time long ago when the rules of Granada enjoyed their summers in this oasis on the mountain.
After our great tour of the Alhambra, we walked back down the hill and stopped for another round of doner kebabs as a late lunch. Next, we went back to the Cathedral since we didn’t get to go inside the day prior. No photos on my phone must mean I wasn’t that impressed, at least compared to all of the other Cathedrals that we’d visited during this trip! We opted not to pay for several of the other sights in Granada including the Capilla Real, where Fernando and Isabel as well as their daughter Juana la Loca and her husband Felipe are buried. Instead, we opted for a bit of relaxation back at the hotel.
One last thing to tell you about Granada. Tapas culture here is quite different than what we experienced in the rest of Spain. Here, tapas are given for free at many restaurants with the purchase of a beverage. Usually, one beverage gets you one tapa, making it a simple way to get tipsy and full! We went to one such bar, La Riviera, recommended to us by our lovely sunset tour guide on the first evening. Full of authenticity and plenty of tapas options, we were happy with this choice. We went for one final stroll back down to the Paseo de Los Tristes for our last evening view of the up-lit Alhambra before calling it a night. Next stop, Barcelona!
