Many articles have been written about the Alhambra, and rightly so, as it contains a beautifully preserved palace, striking gardens and stunning views from the Alcazaba of the city below. Unfortunately though, many visitors come to Granada just for the Alhambra and don’t make time to explore the rest of Granada city. This is a real shame as they are missing out on some other great sites.
To get you started, here are my top 5 things that I think you should take time to see or do in Granada. There are many more, but this should give you a flavour of some of Granada’s main attractions.
1. San Jeronimo Monastery
This beautiful place is often overlooked by visitors as it is not located immediately in the centre of the city. As well as being peaceful and calming inside the main walls however, the monastery also holds a secret that is not well publicised. This is its church interior which will take your breath away. I have been to many churches and cathedrals, including many of the most famous in Italy, but the beautifully preserved painted walls here are probably the finest I have ever seen.
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| Church within San Jeronimo Monastery |
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2. Plaza Trinidad and its surrounding area
This square sometimes gets overlooked but it is a lovely square where you can sit outside and have a coffee or beer. My personal favourite is to have a coffee with a tomato tostada whilst sitting outside in the sun, people watching. Once your have done this, you should walk down Calle Trinidad and take a look at the Botanical Gardens. These are free to enter and offer beautiful shade from the hot sun. While you are here, walk a little further down Calle Escuelas until you reach a lovely little square that houses the Iglesia San Justo & Pastor. This makes lovely photos. If you want to continue, walking, stick to Calle de San Jeronimo, a beautiful road containing a number of historical buildings.
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| Antiguo Collegio Major, Calle San Jeronimo |
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3. Have Free Tapas with a small (or large) beer
There are not many places in the world that give you things for free, but Granada is one of them. Order a beer or other alcoholic drink at lunch time or in the evening and you will also be provided with a small tapas dish to keep your hunger at bay. The variety and quality of the tapas does of course vary from place to place but, if you choose carefully, you will often end up with a very appetising plate of bread and tortilla (vegetarian), potatoes with salsa, potato salad, fish dishes, chicken and chips or even traditional paella. If you choose the wrong place, you will just end up with a small plate of olives (not that there is anything wrong with olives as I love them!). Some good places for tapas in Granada are along Calle Elvira (particularly around the steps to the Albaycin), Calle Agua (in Albaycin) or some of the bars in Plaza Romanilla.
4. Carmen de los Martires
This delightful park is full of greenery, trees, lakes and shady walks. The house in the park also has a beautiful entrance which is reminiscent of the walls in the Alhambra. Wander round this park or just sit on a bench and enjoy the tranquility. My favourite spot is to wander up through the house until your reach a small pond where ducks swim leisurely around the attractive grotto in the middle. This park is easily accessed from the Alhambra as well as it is only a 10 minutes walk (and there is only a gentle slope to climb!)
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| Carmen de los Martires |
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5. Abádia de Sacromonte
No trip to Granada is complete without wandering up through the Albaycin and along Paseo de Los Tristes. However, do not miss the beauty of Sacromonte either as, from here,
you get fantastic views of the Alhambra surrounding by its green valley. My recommendation is to wander up to the Abbey in Sacromonte as you can take in the views along the way and you get even more stunning views from up the top. Many people say that this is the ideal spot to sit and watch sunsets in Granada, and I completely agree as you get fantastic skies behind the Alhambra and city below. If you do go to the Abbey though, I also recommend taking the guided tour (around 4 euros each). This is an excellent tour that not only takes you through the Abbey and down into the hidden chambers below, but also provides you with a very detailed history of religious struggles in Granada and the brutality across the ages.
