Mimar

In a recent thread, progol asked about the advisability of staying in the Albayzin neighborhood when visiting Granada. Both s/he and I are interested in what Fodorites have to say about this. But nobody seemed to answer. So I'm starting a new thread just on this topic. Surely somebody out there has an opinion?

MonicaRichards

We did this, stayed in a cave and I wouldn't do it again. Way too hard to reach and very tiring to get back to at the end of the day. I was wishing we had stayed closer to the center of Granada. And we were young and good walkers at the time (late 20's).

progol

Mimar,
Thanks for posting this, Mimar! This question really wasn't getting answered, so glad it's a separate thread.

From what I've read so far, there are accommodations in the Albayzin that are closer to the foot of the hill that are pretty accessible, and others that are further up (in?) the hill that might be more difficult to get to, which might be the type of place that the above poster, MonicaRichards, stayed in.

I'm trying to understand this myself -- the hotels near the Rio Darro, for instance, seem to be near Plaza Nueva and the downtown area and are at the foot of the hill, so relatively easy to access. That's what it looks like to me, but if I'm wrong, please correct my understanding!

Paule

WomBatt

'staying in the Albayzin' - why not? But I have no idea what you know of the area, expectations, Granada or what you want to accomplish.
Is this the nonsense about safety because the booger man might get you that someone, yet again, has unearthed from an aging guide book?

progol

WomBatt,
<<'staying in the Albayzin' - why not? But I have no idea what you know of the area, expectations, Granada or what you want to accomplish. >>

I want to be able to have access to the sights and to going out to dinner and be able to walk back to my residence in a leisurely stroll.

The way I understand the difference between the 2 areas is about convenience and accessibility vs. old-town charm and less convenient access to sights and the downtown area.

But it's not clear to me HOW inconvenient the Albayzin is, and would love someone who can clarify this. That's why I made the point that the hotels near the River Darro appear to be close to Plaza Nueva and also relatively close to downtown.

<<Is this the nonsense about safety because the booger man might get you that someone, yet again, has unearthed from an aging guide book?>>

Not for me, and since no one raised this concern on this thread so far, I wouldn't make it into more of an issue.

TravelerKaren

There are buses that go between center and Albayzin on a frequent basis. I've read that after dark the Albayzin may not be so safe, but we did not go there after dark so really can't comment from personal experience.

MonicaRichards

Yes, we were up in the hotel, right in the heart of the "gypsy" quarter. It didn't feel unsafe exactly, but we did feel like we stood out. People were nice and respectful though. Maybe at the foot of the hill would be good, but I don't remember the rest of Granada lacking any charm either.

MonicaRichards

Sorry, we were up in the HILL.

annhig

mimar - we stayed at the opposite end of the town at a hotel overlooking the Alhambra, and we were vey happy there. We could walk straight over there [we did both day time and evening visits so this was useful] and then walk down into the town to all the bars and restaurants, or catch a bus to the Albercin. you can catch a bus back up the hill til about midnight for about €1.

the hotel had a restaurant too which was useful on the night we toured the Alhambra. Here's the link:

http://www.hotelguadalupe.es/en/

our room was quite large and very comfortable, as was the hotel. Reasonably priced too.

kja

I stayed near the Cathedral and was glad I did! When I was there (2004), the Albayzin was very quite at night -- almost uncomfortably so. In contrast, the area by the Cathedral had restaurants and cafes and people walking around and a sense of liveliness that I love about evenings in Spain. But maybe things have changed since I was there....

Mimar

What I want to know is how steep is the hill and is it inconvenient for the sights of Granada? (Excluding the main sight, the Alhambra, which I understand is at some distance.)

kja

I thought the Albayzin inconvenient for site seeing EXCEPT for the Mirador de San Nicolas.

As I recall, whether it is steep depends on which route you take and how high up you go. I believe there was a LONG route that was a relatively gentle; the direct routes were much steeper.

kja

Correction: there is also a Moorish bath in the Albayzin district that is well worth seeing IMO.

annhig

What I want to know is how steep is the hill and is it inconvenient for the sights of Granada? (Excluding the main sight, the Alhambra, which I understand is at some distance.)>>

mimar - my recollection is that the Alberyzin is further away from the centre than the Alhambra and there are fewer buses. The walk down from the Alhambra to the town will take 10 mins at most [unless you stop to buy a handbag for your DD like I did] and there are loads of buses to bring you back up. whereas the Alberyzin took us about 30 mins to walk back down and a lot longer to walk up. [ok, we stopped for a drink or two].

doubtless someone will tell me that i have misremembered.

Robert2533

I suggest you take a look at Maribel's Guide to Granada (http://maribelsguides.com/mg_granada.pdf). It hasn't been updated for a few years, but still contains some excellent information on visiting Granada. See page 19, "El Albaizín".

mmodrich

We stayed along the river right on the border of the Albayzin and it was perfect. We would take the bus up to the Albayzin and then walk back down. And then we were also walking distance to the sites like the cathedral. I felt like it was a great compromise. In terms of safety, we felt perfectly safe and we were traveling with our young children.

kimhe

El Albaicín, the oldest district in town, is very much in the center, but it's a bit steep up to the higest level. Some 10-15 minutes walking up to the top from central Plaza Nueva. Great views of Alhambra just on the other side of the narrow Darro valley.

To get you in the Albaicín mood, here's Sara Baras dancing Isaac Albéniz' Albaicín from his early 19 hundreds masterpiece Iberia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwushBt_Hpw

Granada's great son, the late Enrique Morente, in the Bañuelo del Albaicín with some nice shots of the district: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hikNqOfvmos

Some of the finest flamenco artists in the world come from Granada. See if you can catch a concert with any of the following, and you are guaranteed a highlight of your trip:

Estrella Morente (daughter of Enrique), Marina Heredia, Gema Caballero (song/cante), Eva Yerbabuena, Fuensanta la Moneta, Manuel Liñan or Patricia Guerrero (dance/baile)

Eva Yerbabuena dancing at Alhambra in 2002. She's even more fantastic now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDSN-4iIms
Estrella Morente with her grandmother a year after her father died: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np5kLHhX7BQ