City of Granada

Virtually all places of interest in Granada, including the hills of the Alhambra and Sacromonte, are within easy walking distance of the centre.

Alhambra
One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th century.

• Alcazaba, the military fortification with monumental towers, is the oldest part of the Alhambra, reconstructed upon the ruins of a castle in the 9th century.
  At the entrance of the Alcazaba is the delightful Jardín de los Adarves, also called Jardin de los Poetas. The impressive Torre de la Vela is the tallest tower showing a panoramic view of the Granada city. Its silhouette is a significant symbol to the people of Granada.
• The palace of Mexuar, originally built by Ismael I for the juridical administration. Under King Charles V the building was changed ino a Christian chapel. Main attraction is the splendid Golden Room with its Renaissance ceiling.
• The Palace of Comares, was the king's residence built under Muhammad V, This masterpiece of Islamic art include the Ambassador's Room with a ceiling made of cedar wood, representing the seven heavens of Islamic religion. Another attraction is the palace's Patio de los Arrayanes a large court with columns of marble and a beautiful central fountain.
• The Palace of Muhammad V was the private residence of this Moorish king. Four great halls enclose the famous Patio de los Leones, the "lions' court" with figures of lions carryomg the fountain. It is a curiosity in Arabian art, as the figurative representation of animals is forbidden by the Koran.
• The summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens, stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.
• At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

Albaicin
The Albaicín is the old Arabic quarter located on the hill opposite the Alhambra. It is characterised a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with secluded inner gardens. The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish palace.

Cathedral
Other major Christian monument of Granada is the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand were buried. The cathedral with its five naves is considered to be the most important Renaissance building of Spain. Built in the transition period of Gothic to Renaissance, it shows as well elements of this earlier style.

Capilla Real, the Royal Chapel
built between 1505 and 1521 adjacent to the cathedral, is worth visiting to see the kings' tombs of marble from Carrara. The museum shows paintings of the collection of Queen Isabel, including works of Van der Weyden, Botticelli, Bouts and Berruguete, the queen's crown and scepter and sword of King Fernando.

Basílica San Juan de Dios
Built on the site of the Great Mosque of La Alcazaba, the hospital and churgh of San Juan de Dios is worth seeing because of its fabulous baroque façade and an interesting collection of 17th-century paintings and sculpture. The most outstanding features are the hospital’s patios and the staircase that leads to the upper floor and separates both patios.

The caves of Sacromonte
The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North, is famous for its cave dwellings, once the home of Granada's large gypsy community. Some of the best flamenco performers turned their caves into public places where visitors could come to hear and see flamenco in its natural habitat. Knowadays the caves have electricity and modern plumbing although these modern facilities have only been introduced in the the last 50 years or so. The interior of the flamenco caves are normally adorned with copperware and photos of previous moments of glory.

Granada is located next to the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalusia in the south of Spain. It is about 70km from the coast. Being in this position means that it is possible to go skiing and sunbathe on the beach in the same day.

The best time to visit Granada is in the Spring and Autumn when the temperature is just perfect with warm sunny days. During July and August it can be very hot and some days the temerature reaches 40C.

Distances:
Barcelona - 868  |   |  Cádiz - 335 km  |  Córdoba - 166 km  |  León - 761 km  |  Madrid - 434 km  |  Málaga - 129 km  |  Sevilla - 256 km  |  Toledo - 397 km  |  Valencia - 519 km  |  Zaragoza - 579 km

By plain:
Granada doesn't have an international airport so if you want to fly to Granada you will have to first fly to Madrid (45 minutes) or Barcelona (1 hour). The nearest international airport is Malaga. The best way to get from Malaga to Granada is by bus.
Granada airport is 12km from the city center. To get from the airport there is a bus service or taxis when the bus is not available.

By train:
The train station is at the town center, in Avenida de Andaluces off Avenida de la constitución.