2.5 Days: 61,266 steps
Granada had the Spanish feeling I was looking for in Barcelona. The details in the buildings, the colours, the energy. Andalucía has an amazing quaintness to it and its architecture (a mixture of Islamic and Catholic influence) is more ornate than you can imagine. Two and a half days was more than enough time in this city. By the end of our stay, it felt as though we had been up and down every street several times.
There are different areas you can explore in Granada. The best ones are San Pedro and Sacromonte. Halfway up the hill, all the houses turn white, the tourists become fewer, you have an amazing view of the city and Alhambra, and every restaurant/bar looks welcoming. Another interesting area is Realejo-San Matias. Here you can find all of the Muslim shops full of beautiful fabrics, glass, pottery, and restaurants.
The two most iconic sights in Granada are:
Catedral de Granada, 16th Century – The fourth largest cathedral in the world. You walk inside and your jaw drops. While very different from the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, this is one of the most beautiful traditional Roman-Catholic Cathedrals I have ever seen. We paid €5 /general and €3.5 /student. You are given an audio guide that walks you through the artwork and history. I was amazed by the variety of art/mediums used; wood and stone carvings, silver/bronze/gold pieces, stained glass, statues, painting, mosaics, ancient choir books, it goes on and on.
Alhambra – A giant stone fortress that rests upon a steep hill looking over the city. You would never believe the beauty it contains inside; full of gardens, fountains, and beautiful interiors created by both the Muslims and Catholics over the centuries.
You can take the C32 bus to Alhambra to save the steep hike. One-way bus fare is €1.40. We took a 3-hour walking tour that taught us the history of the Alhambra and Granada. We walked through the six palaces, the fortress, and the gardens. The palaces are filled with the most ornate tiling (they actually used plaster and olive oil to create the tiles) and the Muslims built pools in the middle of their rooms to create light and purity as a replacement for windows. (windows infringed upon the privacy of their women).
There is no lack of good places to eat in Granada. Here are the spots we hit up:
Cunini - Ensalada de pimentos (roasted red pepper salad), Sopa de ajo (garlic soup), Gambas pil-pil (Garlic Shrimp) and Vieiras Cunini (Cunini style Scallops). Also treated with a traditional Paella to start and Mocha Gelato & Espresso for a finale (@theathletesplate)
Casa Gabriel – While exploring San Pedro, we stumbled across a beautiful square with live music and surrounded by orange trees. We enjoyed a beer (local beer- Alhambra (especial)) in the sun and a small Tapas dish
Siloé Bar and Grill – My dad is a huge fan of their Chicken wings (We found out that all of the chicken in Spain is great because it is free range / fresh). Frankly, all of their dishes look great. It is also great for enjoying the sun on their patio with a drink and enjoying the view of the Catedral de Granada. (@theathletesplate)
YSLA – Yummy spot to grab some traditional sweets.
Pizzeria Braseria Plaza Nueva – CHEAP SANGRIA! And pretty good pizza ;)
Cafetería Alhambra – Stop here for must have Spanish churros with a cup of chocolate to dip in. Warning: do not have a coffee here, it was horrible :(
Via Colon – connected to Siloé, Vicaolon is a good spot to get your regular breakfast (a hard find in Europe) and fresh OJ. I tried a Spanish omelette for something different – heavy but yummy!
The best views in Granada are always on the hill. Here are my two favourite spots:
Placeta Cristor de las Azuzenas – When climbing up to Sacromonte, we stumbled across this park/square. It has a great view of the city/Alhambra and is the perfect place to stop and have a picnic.
Ermita de San Miguel Alto – We took the C31 bus to bring us into Sacromonte and hiked the rest of the way up the hill to get to the most beautiful spot to view the sunset/city/Alhambra. Another option for sunset watching is San Nicholas church. I figured San Miguel would be better as there is more space and it is the highest viewpoint of the city. Bring a drink and a snack, find a spot to sit and watch the sun set over the city and behind the mountains.
Tip: If you see something you like, don’t wait to buy it! For for two reasons:
1) You won’t be able to find it again (this is where I learned to bookmark literally everything on google maps that I might need later) and
2) It might be closed – Nothing opens until 10 am, closes between 1-4pm, re-opens and then closes at 8. Also, most things are closed on Sunday. It is hard to keep track of. I wanted to buy olives, nougat, pomegranates, and go to the market. But I waited too long and missed out on all of it. None of it was that important but I noted this mistake for future reference!
My favourite part of our stay in Granada was definitely watching the sunset. If you know me at all, you know I am obsessed with sunrise/sunsets. They never get old and this was definitely the best one I’ve seen in a while. Roaming the streets in Granada is fun but to get the full experience, I recommend just climbing a hill and looking at the views the city has to offer.
Next stop: Sevilla!
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