Granada in

a weekend

Tips for a weekend in this great Spanish town.

GRANADA & THE ALHAMBRA

Many visitors come for the Alhambra palace only, and miss out on one of the prettiest and liveliest towns in Spain.

Granada's central older districts are perfect for a couple of nights of tapas-hopping and around every corner is an even prettier part of town. Here are a few tips for a great weekend!

We carbon offset with www.goldstandard.org

ITINERARY EXAMPLE

Friday afternoon arrival.

Check-in and head out following one of the blue routes shown on the map. If you haven't booked anywhere for dinner don't worry, most bars in Granada give you a free tapa with every beer. And the quality often improve the more you order. You may hear the order go in to the kitchen as "Primera", "Segunda" etc.

CIRCLE 1: A walk around the Albaicín and Sacromonte route shown will take 2-3 hours, depending on how many stops you make. Start at Plaza Nueva, go along Carrera del Darro and the river towards Sacromonte. From Sacromonte back towards Placa Nueva, go via Plaza San Nicolás which offers a great view of Alhambra. If you can time it to half an hour before it gets dark, the lights will come on lighting up the palace for a great shot of it.

Saturday

Book a guided tour of the Alhambra for either the morning or afternoon. This will take three hours. A nice way to get there is to start by Puerta de las Granadas and follow the lovely leafy walk up the hill.

CIRCLE 2: Carry on the sightseeing and tapas-hopping by again starting off at Plaza Nueva, but this time walk towards the cathedral and the Centro district. Following the blue lines on the map (for a larger version see the gallery) up to Realejo, you will pass numerous of delightful squares and narrow cobblestoned streets. We could name them all but this area is so easily navigated that just go out and discover one after another by taking randomn turns!

ALBAICÍN & SACROMONTE

Albaicín is Spain's largest surviving Moorish quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its medieval streets are full of character and it's a delight just walking around here. Specific sights are e.g. the Baños Arabes, Casa de Castril and Plaza de Nicolás (pictured).

Sacromonte is the gitano cave-quarter. There is a good nightlife scene (including Flamenco), great views from the top and a museum on Barranco de los Negros. Below, one of its cave bars.

ALHAMBRA

PALACE

Although an eleventh century fortress, it was in the twelfth that Ibn-al-Ahmar seriously expanded "The red fortress". He added the massive walls around it and the ingenious irrigation throughout, sourcing water from the river Darrio far below the palace.

There are three main parts that you will want to cover: The original Alcazaba fortress, The stunning Nazaríes palaces (pictured), and the Generalife gardens.

You will get the most out of your visit with a guide (check what language they will cover!) but if the portable audio guides are available, you can make you're way around yourself too. Two to three hours is recommended to set aside. There is a café and toilets on site. NB! You have to book a ticket in advance!

https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/

https://www.entradas-alhambradegranada.org/