Granada is unique! The city’s allure is hard to describe. The history is so extensive and complicated that one person’s perspective certainly doesn’t do it justice. Only by reading various media, spending time in the diverse neighbourhoods and wandering the intricate old town, can one begin to “feel” the history and enchantment.
Exploring Alhambra
When thinking of Granada, most people think……”Alhambra”. The UNESCO designated, most preserved Muslim Medieval city in the world. The palace and fortress complex, located in southern Spain, is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture. It also contains exceptional examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Intertwined among the beauty is the complex history.
With the ruling Muslims starting construction in the year 1238, the Alhambra expanded with beautiful Moorish flair until the Christian conquest in 1492 when it became the site of the Royal Court for Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. History tells us this is the site where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his voyage to the New World.
Each visit is unique and captivating in unexpected ways. The grounds, gardens and architecture are enchanting. The space is vast and is an ever-popular tourist highlight for visitors to the Andalusia region in Spain.
Tips and Tricks for your visit
Be prepared for a lot of walking! Alhambra covers an area of approximately 35 acres. Most walkways are well-maintained cobblestone and there are plenty of stairs and uneven places. Wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers. You are fairly high up in the mountains so the weather can change quickly and often gets much warmer as the day progresses.
Reserve well in advance! You must book online, it sells out, and you’ll want the earliest start time possible. It gets very, very busy as the day goes on. Visitors are given time slots for entry. You’ll want to arrive well before your allotted time. There is an excellent gift shop and a coffee shop by the main entrance if you have some time to spend prior to entering. Once inside, you may stay as long as you’d like. There are a few restaurants within the grounds so enjoying a nice lunch is a good option part way through the day.
Pre-pay for your audio guide and head phones when booking your tickets online. The collection process for the devices never seemed straight forward to us. Once inside the gates be prepared to walk a little way prior to collecting them. The process seemed to change each time we’ve visited. The audio guides, however, are really an absolute must in order to understand the Alhambra intricacies (unless, of course, you have a private guided tour).
Reading recommendations
Reading a little bit of historical fiction before and after your travels really brings the entire experience to life! Other than using google searches and Wikipedia to understand the premise of this historic site, here are a few suggestions we’ve thoroughly enjoyed:
Tales of the Alhambra, by Washington Irving. This is a collection of essays written by the American author while living in the palace/fortress in the 1820’s. Although written in quite old English and awkward at times, it is a classic and very enlightening about life within this historic walled city.
The Queen’s Vow and The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner. I loved these two historical fiction novels! They were extremely entertaining. Especially after travelling extensively in Spain. Vivid images are painted of Spanish royalty and history, mainly in the 1400 and 1500’s.
All of these are great reads before and after travelling in Spain. These, and many others, are available online or at the gift shop near the Alhambra main entrance.
Discovering Old Town & Alcaiceria Market
Spend a day walking the old city. It’s quite large and is really worth taking a walking tour. It’s fascinating! We enjoyed a Guru Walk free walking tour (the guides work for tips). We always try to select guides with a rating of 4.8/5 or higher. This usually results in very good tours for us. Download the Guru Walk app and search for appropriate tours in the city you’re visiting.
The Alcaiceria Market, a Grand Bazaar and the original Moorish silk market dating back to the 1500’s, is amazing. This market is authentically Moorish, the vendors sell spices, fabrics, souvenirs and various goods from Africa. You’ll definitely feel as if you’ve been transported to North Africa!
Be sure to also find some of the very old Turkish bath houses, many of them offer tours. Discover things you like and explore!
Arabic Tea Houses
The Moorish influence in the city is obvious. Throughout Granada you’ll find traditional Arabic tea houses. Pop in, relax and enjoy the culture and atmosphere while sipping on authentic Moroccan mint tea served from silver tea services, steeped in flavour and history. It’s magical! If you’d like more information on Morocco, be sure to read our post Important things you’ll want to know before travelling to Morocco.
Albaicin
Be sure to make time for a walk up the far side of the city into the Albaicin area (beware that it’s hilly). This was formerly known as the Gypsy area. It’s now a really cool, artsy, gentrified part of Granada with stunning views over the city. With its medieval street plan dating back to the 13th century and many historic monuments, you’ll want to read about it first, there’s lots of history! Have lunch at a café sitting along the steeply inclined cobblestone streets. You’ll certainly be wondering how your table doesn’t fall over!
Where to stay
Granada is nestled in the heart of Andalusia. It’s definitely worth spending a few days to really enjoy various parts of the city, beyond just the Alhambra. We had a lovely stay at a sumptuous hotel (Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula) near the downtown core (which allowed us to easily walk throughout the city (we do, however, enjoy walking). It’s a large city so if you’re not a keen walker, you may want to arrange a driver for some tourist attractions, depending on where you stay.
Day Trips
Day trips from various Andalusian locations are another option for visiting Granada. For example, Malaga is a 1.5 hour drive (121 km), Cordoba is less than 2 hours (174 km) and Seville is just over 2 hours away (240km). If you’re not up for renting a car and driving, although the roadways in Spain are excellent, there are numerous day trips offered to Granada and the Alhambra from most locations throughout Andalusia.
Safety
Granada is the only city in Spain where we were pick-pocketed! It’s a big city, there’s a lot of activity and, being avid walkers, we tend to travel on foot a lot. We found that you could transition from good to bad areas quite abruptly. As with all travel, stay aware at all times!
Finally
We love Spain! If you’re keen to read more about travel in various regions, check out our post Discover hidden secrets of Spanish Basque country.
Granada is worth the trip! The city oozes fascinating history and enchantment. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
We’d love to keep in touch with you! Join our mailing list to receive timely updates: