Granada and the Alhambra

Granada is a large, sprawling city with a modern urban vibe. If you are used to visiting quaint, dusty, mountain villages in Spain, you will be surprised by Granada’s metropolitan center, shining store windows, and international cuisine. There are great reasons to visit Granada throughout the year. In warm weather, tourists flock to the Alhambra—the last Moorish stronghold, and most richly decorated palace. 

In winter, the mountains around Granada are snow-covered. This is one of the only sources of snow within driving distance of Rota, so if your children have lived in Spain too long and don’t know how to build a snowman, consider spending a winter weekend here. The sledding and skiing opportunities are in the Sierra Nevada mountains around the city, about 20-30 minutes away. Do research ahead of time, because some slopes have restrictions on equipment or ages of children.

 The main attraction in Granada is the Alhambra. This is a huge palace complex, high on the hill overlooking the city. It was the last stronghold of the Moorish kings, and is a stunning example of mudejar architecture: extremely intricate carvings on walls and window lattices, pointed archways, elaborate fountains, and gorgeous gardens. The fortress was mostly constructed in the 11^th century, replacing a small 8^th century fort. It became a palace in the 13^th century, with each Muslim ruler adding to it and improving it. Later, the Christian kings conquered Granada and used the Alhambra for themselves. In the 16^th century Charles V added his own palace to the grounds. So the complex now contains several structures and gardens from different time periods, all included with your ticket purchase.

The fanciest building, the Nasrid Palace, is the star of the show and the area most people come to see. It has the famous Court of Lions and the Hall of the Abencerrajes with its ‘honeycomb’ ceiling. You should order tickets months in advance, because the number of visitors allowed in the Nasrid Palace is limited. Tickets sell out quickly, especially in the summer months. Visit www.alhambradegranada.org/en to make a reservation. You can visit either in the morning or in the afternoon. When you order online, you can either take your email confirmation to the main ticket entrance of the Alhambra to pick up your tickets, or you can bring your confirmation email ahead of time to any Caixa bank to get your tickets. If you have actual tickets in hand, you can use a side entrance to the complex that is a little closer and more convenient, and you don’t have to wait in the regular ticket line.

A specific time will be printed on your e-mail and ticket. This is your time to enter the Nasrid Palace, near the far end of the complex. You can enter the Alhambra area before your ticket time and visit the gardens, the fort, and the Palace of Charles V. But you cannot enter the Nasrid Palace without lining up at your appropriate time. I recommend arriving at the Alhambra at least 1 hour before your ticket time, because it takes at least 30 minutes to walk from the main entrance area, across the gardens, to the area where the Nasrid Palace line forms. Do not miss your ticket time, because then you won’t be allowed in! It takes about 1 hour to explore the rooms of the palace, and it is an experience you will remember for a long time. Each room is more exotic and impressive than the next. 

If possible, spend a full day exploring the rest of the grounds. They are mostly stroller accessible, but there is a stroller check. The rest of the Alhambra includes the walls and tower of the Alcazaba fort (the oldest building there) which you can climb via many stairs;  the Renaissance-style palace of Charles V, with a round columned courtyard; and the palace and gardens of the Generalife (pronounced Hen-er-al-leaf-ay). This Moorish style palace is not as elaborate as the Nasrid Palace, but it has amazing gardens and fountains. Washington Irving, the American writer, lived in the Alhambra in 1828. He wrote about his experiences, including local tales and legends. Read his book Tales of the Alhambra before you go, to enrich your visit.

Other Granada sites include the neo-classical Cathedral and surrounding spice markets. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are buried in the cathedral. 

Some visitors enjoy hiking uphill through the very narrow, steep streets of the Albaycin, the old Moorish area of the city. The Albaycin hill is featured on the right side of this photo, viewed from the Alhambra. 
In Sacromonte are the cave-homes of gypsies, where you can see wonderful dance shows with vibrant flamenco music. Finally, Granada is one of the few cities in Spain that still serves free tapas. These are complimentary whenever drinks are ordered at a bar. 

Some other fond memories:

We travelled to Granada for 3 days with the Grandparents, and rented a house just outside the city. We used the public bus to get back and forth, which was cheap and relatively easy. Granada is a very expensive city in which to find lodging, so that is why we stayed just outside. We were on a small farm, with grapevines around the house, and a rooster crowing in the backyard. It also had a large pool, and the kids spent each afternoon swimming with their grandparents. We loved the gorgeous views of the mountains, and the kids liked looking for the red bus!

 
Granada is a wonderful city for any kind of shopping. There are high-end stores in the downtown distract, as well as many delightful specialty stores. Grandpa's favorite was the pastry shops. He loved stopping for a treat at any time of day. And the kids loved sharing with him! Here they are having a mid-morning snack of chocolate cake against the wall of the Cathedral!




We visited Granada in September 2013. The majority of this post, except for the Fond Memories, is an excerpt from my book, Welcome to Rota. The photos are all mine.