granada

"There is nothing in life so cruel as being blind in Granada"
Francisco de Icaza

Although civilizations have flourished on this land since antiquity, the Golden Age of southern Spain came about only after the arrival of the armies of Islam, who had swept out from Mecca in the 7th century across the vast deserts of North Africa and crossed the straits of Gibraltar in the 8th century. This newly-conquered land, at the very edge of Islam, would now be known as al-Andalous (Andalusia).

The Moors created a stunning civilization that outshone its neighbors in Christendom and in the rest of the Islamic world. Medieval Andalusia was a light in the Dark Ages of Europe: a land where Muslim, Christian and Jew created an intellectual, advanced and tolerant society. Muslim poets sang of their beloved land as a terrestrial paradise. Jewish poets called al Andalous their second Jerusalem.

No place can serve as greater testament to the glories of Andalusia than the hills of Granada - especially that legendary hill known as the Alhambra. Granada was, for centuries, the last stronghold of the Moors before their final defeat in 1492 to the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella.. The fort, palace and gardens of Alhambra, whose beauty were legendary even in their own days, were the heart and soul of the Moors.

The beauty of the Alhambra palace and the Generalife gardens, is not only that the Moors were brilliant architects of bricks and mortar, of precious marble and delicately carved wood, but also of trees and flowers, of cascading fountains and tranquil pools.

You can stay in the shadows of the Alhambra either in the 1908 Alhambra Palace - a gracious, old-world hotel with spectacular views or in the small parador of the 15th century convent of San Francisco.

Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. The long-time capital of Moorish Andalusia has to offer the most important reminds of this epoch in Spanish history, with the world-famous "Alhambra" at the top of the list.

Walk through beautiful gardens, charming narrow streets filled with flowers, sit down in one of those typical taverns to have some of that famous "Trevelez" ham and local wine, and breath the centuries of history around you anywhere. There are gypsies singing "Flamenco", and don't miss to visit their famous "Cuevas" - caves - in the mountain of the monastery of Sacromonte where some of them really live still nowadays making magnificent artisany. Granada's popular festivals, based as well on Moorish as Christian tradition, are most attractive.

The city is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, Spain's highest mountain-massif with great posssibilities for winter-sports. The highest peak, "Mulhacen" arrives to 3478 meters. On the other hand it is not far from the Mediterranean sea, so Granada is a great place to visit in any season.

Places of interest in Granada

Alhambra and the Gardens of the Generalife

Read more about the Alhambra in our granada tours section.

Cathedral of Granada

This 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. Specially remarkable are the main chapel, Capilla Mayor, the lateral chapels and of course the façade with its sculptures.

Capilla Real - The Riyal Chapel

The Royal Chapel was built between 1505 and 1521 under Spain's catholic kings. The northern front was lateron integrated in the cathedral. Worth visiting are specially the kings' tombs of marble from Carrara. The museum shows paintings of the collection of Queen Isabel, among them works of Van der Weyden, Botticelli, Bouts and Berruguete, the queen's crown and scepter and sword of King Fernando.

La Lonja

A market building from 16th century, with a façade in plateresque style, close to cathedral and Capilla Real.

La Alcaiceria

The old Arabian silk-market, which has lost little of its lively ambience through the centuries. (Though today you are more likely to find souvenirs there ...)

El Albacin

In this part of town, located on a hill facing the Alhambra, was the king's residence during 11th century. Of this time still exist rests of the walls of the Alcazaba, the arcs of Puerta Monaita, Puerta Elvira and Arco de las Pesas, Arabian bathes and the Palace of Dar Al-Horra, which belonged to the mother of King Boabdil.

Several churches were built over Arabian mosques, rests of which still can be seen in their interior. In Iglesia del Salvador we find rests of Granada's Great Mosque, in Iglesia de San Juan de los Reyes of the mosque of the Alcazaba, while Santa Isabela la Real bears rests of a Moorish palace. The church of San Juan de los Reyes shows two marvelous minarets, and under the Convent of Santa Catalina there are rests of an Arabian house of 11th century.

Granada's Archaeological Museum shows highly interesting objects of prehistorical, phoenician and visigothic origins. Worth to mention are also the Church of San Nicolas, from where you have a fantastic view over Alhambra and Sierra Nevada, and the Royal Chancellery, Real Cancilleria, a renaissance building with baroque elements.

Caves of Sacromonte

In those caves in the mountain of Sacromonte lived through centuries gypsies. Many of them have been changed into locals for tourists, decorated with ceramics and traditional copper-works, and are the scenery of Flamenco performances. Certainly something you shouldn't miss during your touristic visit to Granada.

Monastery of Sacromonte

The monastery was built at the place where, in 1594, treasure diggers found the famous lead plates with epigraphs of saints persecuted by Roman emperor Nero.

El Corral del Carbon

One of the most important Arabian buildings of its kind, a hotel of 14th century. In 1500 it was changed to serve as a theater.

Palace of the Madraza

In the Arabian epoch this building was the university. Lateron it was changed totally, the façade today is baroque. Only the remarkable chapel is conserved in the original style.

La Cartuja

A baroque monastery of 1506, with very beautiful vestry.

San Jeronimo

A splendid Renaissance temple, built by Diego de Siloe and Florentino, the "Indian", with an extraordinary altar.

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