Granada, Spain – what to visit

Granada, where it all started.. What to visit while in Granada, Spain

Granada has a special place in my heart.

Back in 2011 I left my home country and I moved to this city located in the south of Spain to do my year of Erasmus exchange. It was my first time away from my family and friends and I was scared and excited at the same time. During these 11 months I traveled a lot around Spain and abroad and haven’t stopped since. My love for traveling started there and I would like to dedicate my first post to this magnificent city.

Few weeks ago I had the chance to go back, after 6 years, to discover that the city hasn’t changed a lot and it is still as beautiful as I remember. I spent just a couple of days there, but I managed to see most of my favorite places. Exciting, isn’t it?!

Everyone has their own style of traveling, some people want to see all the places from the travel guide, others prefer to visit all the museums, third are just chilling in the local restaurants. I am one of those who enjoy walking around, getting lost in the narrow streets, avoiding the crowd, discovering hidden treasures. I love to feel the vibe of the city, to see how the locals really live, to dive into their day to day life. Trying local cuisine is also a must do. Who doesn’t like food? 🙂

I was visiting a friend in Albolote, a small city/village next to Granada. I stayed at her parents’ place, lovely Andalucian family. It was a pleasant surprise for me to discover that the metro in Granada is now working, after several decades of construction, connecting the city center with the suburbs and the closest villages. My city tour started from the city center, close to the beautiful cathedral, where you can find a lot of small cafes and restaurants.

Fun fact about Granada is that this is one of the few places in Spain where all the tapas are free (exceptions are some places around main tourist attractions – no surprises here, right?).

If you order a drink – beer, water, wine (prices between 1.50 and 2.50 euro each drink) you can choose a tapa for free. Yes, for free!! In case you are wondering – what the hell is tapa?! Tapa is a small portion of food, half or one third part of a normal plate. Typical tapas are patatas bravas (spicy potatos), croquetas, pulpo (octopus), variety of sandwiches and many more.  And the tapas in Granada are really delicious and relatively big!

My next stop was Albayzín, one of the oldest centers of Muslim culture in Granada.

The neighborhood had its greatest influence at the time of the Nasrids. The Albayzín maintains the urban layout of the Moorish period, with narrow streets winding in an intricate network that extends from the top at San Nicolás and through Calle Elvira, both located in Plaza Nueva, by the course of the river Darro. I love views from the top, this is why I was heading to El mirador de San Nicolás, the most popular view point in Granada. Normally the place is quite crowded, because it offers a stunning view towards La Alhambra, but this time I got lucky and I shared the moment with a bunch of tourists. Usually there is a group of several guitar players who sing flamenco songs and in case it is your lucky day there could be enthusiasts who know how to dance flamenco. It is crazy good!

Walking around Albayzín could take hours, especially if you are like me and you enjoy taking pictures.

Granada is quite hot city, especially during the summer, the temperature is normally around 40 degrees or even more. You must stay hydrated! Just a 5 minute walk from el Mirador you can find a cute cafetería, called Abaco Te, which has an impressive view above the city (I love views from the top as I mentioned before). Advice – check the working hours before going, they have siesta (afternoon nap time) in Andalucia. Yup, Spanish people know how to live!

Granada is also famous with its Arabic teahouses, called teterías in Spanish.

The most popular places are concentrated at calle Calderería Nueva – a narrow street with small Arabic shops and several typical tea houses. I would strongly recommend to try Zumo de Hierbabuena y Limón (prices around 3-4 euros), refreshing juice with an amazing taste, similar to mint. Yummyyy 🙂 Walking down the street you will reach calle Elvira where you can find many bars for tapas, drinks and shisha.

Tasting something local is also important part of my trips. I am not really into sweet things and desserts but pionono is a must. A pionono has two parts: a thin layer of pastry rolled into a cylinder, fermented with different kinds of syrup which give the pionono a sweet and pleasant texture, crowned with toasted cream.

Another important and unique place in Granada is the area called Sacramonte – a hill on the top of Albayzin, where you can visit cave houses and see a lot of handmade tools and jewelry.

Granada’s most important treasure is the palace La Alhambra and its Generalife gardens. Unfortunately this time I couldn’t go, but I’ve been there three times and I don’t think something has changed. I will not tell you the history behind the place, you can go and Google it yourself, but I will tell you that this is one of the most inspiring places I’ve ever visited.

If you want to enter for sure it is better to buy the ticket online way in advance, because usually there are no available tickets for two weeks ahead. You can choose the tour you like and enjoy this amazing place. There are morning, afternoon and night tours (price around 14 euros) and you can easily spend 5 hours inside – yes, the place is quite big.

The shopping area of the city is focused on the main street called Recogidas. If you want to buy some cute things – this is your place.

If you are there just for a couple of days you won’t have the time to do a lot more, but Granada can offer many interesting activities.

For panoramic view lovers I would recommend going to San Miguel alto – breath-taking view of the whole city. You can take a bus (I haven’t used it, but I know I’ve seen one going there) or by walking, it takes approximately 50 minutes to reach the place. Believe me, you won’t regret!

If you are in a mood for party (as I was) you can visit calle Pedro Antonio where most of the bars are located. Spain is famous with the so called chupitos (shots) and there is a good place for chupitos in a street perpendicular to Pedro Antonio, called Chupiteria 69, famous spot for Erasmus students.To continue your night the best choice is Mae West – the biggest and most popular club in Granada. It has several rooms, big terrace and amazing vibe. The entrance is 12-15 euros, drink included. Spaniards go out late in the evening, if you go to the club before 2 a.m. be prepared to find it empty.

The weekend is over and now it is time to check the flights 😉

See you soon, when Travelista goes to…

More interesting travel destinations you can find in my travel section.