Granada
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1. Alhambra
AlhambraWith more than 2.7 million visitors a year, the Alhambra is Spain's most popular attraction. The palace is an endless intricate conglomeration of patios, arches, and cupolas made from wood, plaster, and tile; lavishly colored and adorned with marquetry and ceramics in geometric patterns; and topped by delicate frothy profusions of lacelike stucco and mocárabes (ornamental stalactites). Construction of the Alhambra began in 1238 by Mohammed ibn al-Ahmar, the first king of the Nasrids. The great citadel once comprised a complex of houses, schools, baths, barracks, and gardens surrounded by defense towers and seemingly impregnable walls. Today, only the Alcazaba (Citadel) and the Palacios Nazaríes, built chiefly by Yusuf I (1334–54) and his son Mohammed V (1354–91), remain. Across from the main entrance is the original fortress, the Alcazaba. Its ruins are dominated by the Torre de la Vela (Watchtower); from its summit you can see the Albayzín to the north; to the northeast, the Sacromonte; and to the west, the cathedral. The tower's great bell was once used, by both the Moors and the Christians, to announce the opening and closing of the irrigation system on Granada's great plain. A wisteria-covered walkway leads to the heart of the Alhambra, the Palacios Nazaríes, sometimes also called the Casa Real (Royal Palace). Here, delicate apartments, lazy fountains, and tranquil pools contrast vividly with the hulking fortifications outside, and the interior walls are decorated with elaborately carved inscriptions from the Koran. The Palacios Nazaríes are divided into three sections. The first is the mexuar, where business, government, and palace administration were headquartered. These chambers include the Oratorio (Oratory) and the Cuarto Dorado (Golden Room); gaze down over the Albayzín and Sacromonte from their windows. The second section is the serrallo, a series of state rooms where the sultans held court and entertained their ambassadors. In the heart of the serallo is the Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles), with a long goldfish pool. At its northern end, in the Salón de Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors)—which has a magnificent cedar door—King Boabdil signed the terms of surrender and Queen Isabel received Christopher Columbus. The third and final section of the Palacios Nazaríes is the harem, which in its time was entered only by the sultan, his wives, the rest of his family, and their most trusted servants, most of them eunuchs. To reach it, pass through the Sala de los Mocárabes (Hall of the Ornamental Stalactites); note the splendid, though damaged, ceiling and the elaborate stalactite-style stonework in the arches above. The Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions) is the heart of the harem. From the fountain in the center, 12 lions, thought to represent the months or signs of the zodiac, look out at you. Four streams flow symbolically to the four corners of the cosmos and more literally to the surrounding state apartments. The lions and fountain were restored in 2012 and the Court was paved with white marble as it would originally have been. The Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Moors), on the south side of the palace, may be the Alhambra's most beautiful gallery, with its fabulous ornate ceiling and a star-shape cupola reflected in the pool below. Here Boabdil's father is alleged to have massacred 16 members of the Abencerrajes family—whose chief was the lover of his favorite daughter, Zoraya—and piled their bloodstained heads in the font. The Sala de los Reyes (Hall of the Kings, fully restored in 2017) lies on the patio's east side, decorated with ceiling frescoes thought to be the work of a visiting Christian Spaniard and painted during the last days of the Moors' tenure. To the north, the Sala de las Dos Hermanas (Hall of the Two Sisters) was Zoraya's abode. Its stuccoed ceiling is done in an intricate honeycomb pattern. Note the symmetrically placed patterned pomegranates on the walls. The Baño de Comares (Comares Baths, aka the Royal Baths), the Alhambra's semi-subterranean bathhouse, is where the sultans' favorites luxuriated in brightly tiled pools beneath star-shape pinpoints of light from the ceiling above. The main rooms in the baths were fully restored in 2017 but are rarely open to visitors for conservation reasons, although you can glimpse their finery from the entrance. The Renaissance Palacio de Carlos V (Palace of Carlos V), with a perfectly square exterior but a circular interior courtyard, is where the sultans' private apartments once stood. Designed by Pedro Machuca—a pupil of Michelangelo—and begun in 1526, the palace once was the site of bullfights and mock tournaments. Today its acoustics are perfect for the summer symphony concerts held during the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada. A part of the building houses the Museo de la Alhambra (Museum of the Alhambra), devoted to Islamic art. Upstairs is the more modest Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum). You can visit the Palace of Carlos V and the museums independently of the Alhambra. Over on the Cerro del Sol (Hill of the Sun) is the Generalife, ancient summer palace of the Nasrid kings. Its name comes from the Arabic gennat al-arif (garden of the architect), and its terraces and promenades grant incomparable views of the city that stretch to the distant lowlands. During the summer's International Festival of Music and Dance, stately cypresses serve as the backdrop for evening ballets in the Generalife amphitheater. Between the Alhambra and Generalife is the 16th-century Convento de San Francisco, one of Spain's most luxurious paradores. Don't forget to visit the "Area of the Month"—each month one of the parts usually closed to visitors is open. Allow a good half-day for your visit, a whole day if you have time. Note that if you book morning tickets for the Palacios Nazaríes, you must enter all parts of the Alhambra before 2 pm. If you book afternoon tickets, you'll not be able to access any part of the Alhambra (other than the museums) before 2 pm.
View Tours and ActivitiesCuesta de Gomérez s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18009, Spain958-027971-informationSight Details
Rate Includes: From €2, Museo de la Alhambra and Palacio de Carlos V free, Museo de Bellas Artes and Museo de la Alhambra closed Mon. -
2. Abadía del Sacromonte
SacromonteThe caverns on Sacromonte are thought to have sheltered early Christians. In the 15th century, treasure hunters found bones inside and assumed they belonged to San Cecilio, the city's patron saint. Thus, the hill was sanctified—sacro monte (holy mountain)—and this abbey was built on its summit. Audio guides are available in English.
C. del Sacromonte s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-221445Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 -
3. Baños Árabes
Baths played a very important part in Muslim life and as a measure of that status were often sited near a mosque or in the souk. At the re-created baths, you can relax with friends, get a massage, and even take tea and play chess in the water. Visits must be booked in advance.
Santa Ana 16, Granada, Andalusia, 18005, Spain958-229978Sight Details
Rate Includes: From €40, Daily, by appointment only, at 10, noon, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and midnight -
4. Capilla Real
CentroCatholic monarchs Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragón are buried at this shrine. The couple originally planned to be buried in Toledo's San Juan de los Reyes, but Isabel changed her mind when the pair conquered Granada in 1492. When she died in 1504, her body was first laid to rest in the Convento de San Francisco (now a parador) on the Alhambra hill. The architect Enrique Egas began work on the Capilla Real in 1506 and completed it 15 years later, creating a masterpiece of the ornate Gothic style now known in Spain as Isabelline. In 1521, Isabel's body was transferred to a simple lead coffin in the Capilla Real crypt, where it was joined by that of her husband, Fernando, and later her unfortunate daughter, Juana la Loca (Joanna the Mad), and son-in-law, Felipe el Hermoso (Philip the Handsome). Felipe died young, and Juana had his casket borne about the peninsula with her for years, opening the lid each night to kiss her embalmed spouse good night. A small coffin to the right contains the remains of Prince Felipe of Asturias, a grandson of the Catholic Monarchs and nephew of Juana la Loca who died in his infancy. The crypt containing the five lead coffins is quite simple, but it's topped by elaborate marble tombs showing Fernando and Isabel lying side by side (commissioned by their grandson Carlos V and sculpted by Domenico Fancelli). The altarpiece, by Felipe Vigariny (1522), is comprised of 34 carved panels depicting religious and historical scenes; the bottom row shows Boabdil surrendering the keys of the city to its conquerors and the forced baptism of the defeated Moors. The sacristy holds Fernando's sword, Isabel's crown and scepter, and a fine collection of Flemish paintings once owned by Isabel.
View Tours and ActivitiesCalle Oficios s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18005, Spain958-227848Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 -
5. Carmen de los Mártires
AlhambraUp the hill from the Hotel Alhambra Palace, this turn-of-the-20th-century carmen (private villa) and its gardens—the only area open to tourists—are like a Generalife in miniature.
View Tours and ActivitiesPaseo de los Mártires s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18009, Spain958-849103Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
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6. Casa de los Pisa
AlbaicínOriginally built in 1494 for the Pisa family, the claim to fame of this house is its relationship to San Juan de Dios, who came to Granada in 1538 and founded a charity hospital to take care of the poor. Befriended by the Pisa family, he was taken into their home when he fell ill in February 1550. A month later, he died there, at the age of 55. Since that time, devotees of the saint have traveled from around the world to this house with a stone Gothic facade, now run by the Hospital Order of St. John. Inside are numerous pieces of jewelry, furniture, priceless religious works of art, and an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures depicting St. John.
Calle Convalecencia 1, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-222144Sight Details
Rate Includes: €3, Closed Sun. and afternoons. -
7. Casa de los Tiros
Realejo-San MatíasThis 16th-century palace, adorned with the coat of arms of the Grana Venegas family who owned it, was named House of the Shots for the musket barrels that protrude from its facade. The stairs to the upper-floor displays are flanked by portraits of grim Spanish royals, from Fernando and Isabel to Felipe IV. The highlight is the carved wooden ceiling in the Cuadra Dorada (Hall of Gold), adorned with gilded lettering and portraits of royals and knights. Old lithographs, engravings, and photographs show life in Granada in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Calle Pavaneras 19, Granada, Andalusia, 18002, Spain600-143175Sight Details
Rate Includes: €2, Closed Mon. -
8. Casa-Museo de Manuel de Falla
AlhambraThe composer Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) lived and worked for many years in this rustic house tucked into a charming hillside lane with lovely views of the Alpujarras. In 1986, Granada paid homage to him by naming its new concert hall (down the street from the Carmen de los Mártires) the Auditorio Manuel de Falla. From this institution, fittingly, you have a view of his little white house. Note the bust in the small garden: it's placed where the composer once sat to enjoy the sweeping vista.
Calle Antequeruela Alta 11, Granada, Andalusia, 18009, Spain958-222189Sight Details
Rate Includes: €3, Closed Mon. -
9. Casa-Museo Federico García Lorca
ArabialGranada's most famous native son, the poet Federico García Lorca, gets his due here, in the middle of a park devoted to him on the southern fringe of the city. Lorca's onetime summer home, La Huerta de San Vicente, is now a museum (guided tours only)—run by his niece Laura García Lorca—with such artifacts as his beloved piano and changing exhibits on specific aspects of his life.
Parque Federico García Lorca, Calle Virgen Blanca, Granada, Andalusia, 18004, Spain958-849112Sight Details
Rate Includes: €3, free Wed., Closed Mon. -
10. Casas del Chapíz
AlbaicínThere's a delightful garden in this fine 16th-century Morisco house (built by Moorish craftsmen under Christian rule). It houses the School of Arabic Studies.
Cuesta del Chapíz 22, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-222290Sight Details
Rate Includes: €2 -
11. Cathedral
CentroCarlos V commissioned the cathedral in 1521 because he considered the Capilla Real "too small for so much glory" and wanted to house his illustrious late grandparents someplace more worthy. Carlos undoubtedly had great intentions, as the cathedral was created by some of the finest architects of its time: Enrique de Egas, Diego de Siloé, Alonso Cano, and sculptor Juan de Maena. Alas, his ambitions came to little, for the cathedral is a grand and gloomy monument, not completed until 1714 and never used as the crypt for his grandparents (or parents). Enter through a small door at the back, off the Gran Vía. Old hymnals are displayed throughout, and there's a museum, which includes a 14th-century gold-and-silver monstrance given to the city by Queen Isabel.
Calle Gran Vía de Colón s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18005, Spain958-222959Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 (including audio guide), Closed Sun. morning -
12. Centro Federico García Lorca
CentroThis cultural center dedicated to the famous Spanish poet Federico García Lorca is a must for his fans. It contains an extensive library with more than 5,000 original manuscripts by the author and poet, plus numerous drawings by his contemporaries, such as Dalí. Regular cultural events (mostly related to Lorca) are also held here.
Pl. de la Romanilla, Granada, Andalusia, 18001, Spain958-274062Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. -
13. Centro José Guerrero
CentroJust across a lane from the cathedral and Capilla Real, this building houses colorful modern paintings by José Guerrero. Born in Granada in 1914, Guerrero traveled throughout Europe and lived in New York in the 1950s before returning to Spain. The center also runs excellent temporary contemporary art shows.
Calle Oficios 8, Granada, Andalusia, 18005, Spain958-225185Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun. afternoon and Mon. -
14. Corral del Carbón
CentroThis building was used to store coal in the 19th century, but its history is much longer. Dating to the 14th century, it was used by Moorish merchants as a lodging house and then by Christians as a theater. It's one of the oldest Moorish buildings in the city and the only Arab structure of its kind in Spain.
View Tours and ActivitiesCalle de Mariana Pineda s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18005, SpainSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
15. Dar al-Horra
AlbaicínHidden in the back of the upper Albayzín, this semisecret gem was built in the 15th century for the mother of Boabdil, last Nasrid ruler of Granada. After the 1492 conquest of Granada, Dar al-Horra (House of the Honest Woman) was ceded to royal secretary Don Hernando de Zafra. Isabella of Castile later founded the Convent of Santa Isabel la Real here, which operated until the 20th century. Typical of Nasrid art, the interior resembles that of the Alhambra. The north side is the most interesting, with two floors and a tower. The bottom floor has an exquisite flat wooden ceiling decorated with geometric figures.
Callejón de las Monjas, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-027971Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 (ticket includes admission to El Bañuelo), free Sun. -
16. El Bañuelo
AlbaicínThese 11th-century Arab steam baths might be a little dark and dank now, but try to imagine them some 900 years ago, filled with Moorish beauties. Back then, the dull brick walls were backed by bright ceramic tiles, tapestries, and rugs. Light comes in through star-shaped vents in the ceiling, à la the bathhouse in the Alhambra.
View Tours and ActivitiesCarrera del Darro 31, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-229738Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7 (ticket includes admission to Dar al-Horra) -
17. El Cuarto Real
Realejo-San MatíasJust a block away from Casa de los Tiros is the beautifully restored El Cuarto Real, a 13th-century Nasrid palace which has decorations almost identical to the Alhambra. Only the fortified tower remains standing with its exquisite qubba (reception room) with stunning walls and ceiling motifs. The adjoining modern extension houses temporary art exhibitions, and the formal gardens make a peaceful place to rest.
Pl. de los Campos 6, Granada, Andalusia, 18009, Spain958-849111Sight Details
Rate Includes: €2, Closed Sun. afternoon and Mon. -
18. Monasterio de la Cartuja
CartujaThe exterior of this Carthusian monastery in northern Granada is sober and monolithic, but inside are twisted multicolor marble columns; a profusion of gold, silver, tortoiseshell, and ivory; intricate stucco; and the extravagant sacristy—it's easy to see why it has been called the Christian answer to the Alhambra. Among its wonders are the trompe l'oeil spikes, shadows and all, in the Sanchez Cotan cross over the Last Supper painting at the west end of the refectory. It was begun in 1506 and moved to its present site in 1516, though construction continued for the next 300 years. If you're lucky, you may see small birds attempting to land on these faux perches. You can reach it by Bus No. N7.
View Tours and ActivitiesPaseo de Cartuja s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18011, Spain958-161932Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 -
19. Museo Arqueológico
AlbaicínHoused in the Casa de Castril with one of the finest Renaissance exteriors in the city, this small archaeological museum contains some real gems and has a stunning patio and views of the Alhambra from the second floor. The three rooms take you from prehistoric times with highlights such as raffia sandals dating from 5500 BC, through to the Iberian world whose treasures include a Greek breastplate armor (400 BC) and a white marble bull (600 BC), before reaching the Romans and Al-Andalus where you shouldn't miss the statues, ceramics, and a 15th-century astrolabe.
Carrera del Darro 41, Granada, Andalusia, Spain600-143141Sight Details
Rate Includes: €2, Closed Mon. -
20. Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte
SacromonteThis ethnographical museum shows how people lived in this area, and the rest of this interesting complex looks at Granada's flora and fauna. During the summer months, there are live flamenco concerts. Tours available in English. It's a steep walk to reach the center, even if you take Bus No. C2 (from Plaza Nueva) to shorten the distance.
View Tours and ActivitiesBarranco de los Negros s/n, Granada, Andalusia, 18010, Spain958-215120Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5
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