lrice

Hi all,

I am putting together our 3 1/2 week December itinerary to Granada, Sevilla and Madrid and am starting with Granada. I would love any thoughts or suggestions of sights and restaurants.

Granada (3 nights)
Hotel: Palacio De Mariana Pineda

Thursday, Day 1
Land MAD at 9:25 am, Transfer to catch the 2:00 pm train and arrive at 5:00 pm (Granada Train Station)
Stroll Alcaiceria Market
Dinner at Arrayanes Morrocan restaurant

Friday, Day 2
Breakfast/coffee at some cute cafe
11:00 am Arrive at Alhambra, 1:00 pm Tickets to Nasrid Palaces.
Lunch at Granada Parador
Evening: Plaza Bib-Rambla Christmas Market
Dinner: Tapas Bars

Saturday, Day 3
Breakfast/coffee
Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel
Lunch followed by Albayzin Tea House
5:00 pm Albayzin & Sacromonte Walking Tour
Dinner at a Carmen

Sunday, Day 4
10:00 am Alsa bus to Sevilla

I have not bought any attraction or transportation tickets yet (except plane tickets and hotel).

Thank you, L

Maribel

Lrice,
If you have time, I think you´d really be impressed with the "Sistine Chapel" of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Monasterio de la Cartuja. The interiors are simply amazing, much more impressive than the Cathedral interiors, simply a gem of Baroque and Roccoco. It sits outside of the center, in the University area, accessible by bus, but has limited hours.

https://cartujadegranada.com/visita-cultural/

As to your planned Granada itinerary, your hotel is very well located on the Carrera del Darro, I know it.

Thursday, Day 1,
I don't know if you'll find anything of interest at the Alcaiceria Market other than touristy items but there is a spice market that could appeal. It only takes a minute to stroll through.
I haven't dined at Arrayanes. There are many Moroccan style tea houses in the Elvira area.

Friday, Day 2,
I like to have coffee and Arab style pastries (so did eksrunchy) at the venerable Café Pastelería López Mezquita at Calle Reyes Católicos 39, but I believe they don´t open until 9 am.
Their store window should be filled with special Christmas treats on display.
After your Alhambra visit, lunch at the Parador is a very good idea, but please reserve in advance on The Fork.
https://paradores.es/en/restaurant-parador-de-granada.

Tapas for dinner---
My favorites (I've posted on Fodor's about them):
Taberna la Tana for freshly prepared tapas and a great selection of wines. A wine lovers's paradise, but tiny. Get there early when they open at 8:30 to grab a seat. (Bourdain filmed there)
https://www.tabernalatana.com
Others:
St. Germain, also for nice tapas and wines
Los Diamantes II, same area as Taberna la Tana, for really delicious seafood tapas and fried fish,
http://www.barlosdiamantes.com
The bars of either Cunini or Oliver on the Plaza de la Pescaderia (Bourdain filmed at the latter)
https://restauranteoliver.com
Don't forget churros and chocolate at Alhambra on the pretty Plaza Bib-Rambla next door at some point.
http://cafeteria-alhambra.com/granada/

Saturday, Day 3,
Fine. Please reserve the carmen dinner in the Albaicín, as I know you will. I haven't been to all of them with those stunning Alhambra views around the Mirador de San Nicolás, but I know that maitaitom enjoyed his dinner at Aben Humeya.
https://www.abenhumeya.com

Sunday, Day 4,
The Alsa bus is fine, I've taken it several times.

Enjoy Granada in December!

Maribel

Here is an article about the Granada Christmas season by a blogger I follow
https://piccavey.com/granada-christmas-guide/

lrice

Thank you Maribel!

I believe I read about the hotel in the NYTimes 36 Hours in Granada article and in Rick Steve's Guide on Spain. I read that it can be loud on the Carrera del Darro and asked for a room away from the street.

Arrayanes, a Moroccan restaurant, also is listed in Rick’s guidebook. Oh, and Molly's guide lists it as a restaurant to try in 2022! https://piccavey.com/restaurants-in-granada-spain/

But you are the goddess of restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee shops, and bakeries, so I always love your recommendations for authentic, atmospheric restaurants!

And thank you for mapping out our Friday night Tapas Bar tour!

I follow Molley Piccavey on Instagram! In fact, because we are in Granada on the holiday weekend of December 7-10, I was unsure about visiting the Alhambra on Friday vs Saturday. Molley said Fridays are always better. She also suggested we go upon opening to get ahead of the morning tourist buses, but after our long haul from Los Angeles, I know we will have (and need) a slow morning. Do you recommend an organization that does group tours?

Maribel

Lrice,
Yes, it can be loud on the Carrera del Darro because it's on the walking, minibus and the Segway route to the Albaicín, so the request for an interior room was wise, unless the exterior room windows are very double glazed.

I also follow Molly and use her recommendations. I agree that Fridays are better.

CICERONE does small group tours (you need to scroll down to read about their Alhambra Premium Group tour for 10), but the Alhambra English tours are at 10 am and at 2 pm. and you already have your timed tickets for the Nasrid Palace, correct?

Cicerone also does private tours of the Albaicín.

https://www.ciceronegranada.com/en/alhambra-tours/

I use a private guide for the Alhambra. Her prices are the same for 2 as they are for a larger family group. She's an independent, licensed guide who does tours for Rick. I've used many of the private guides that Rick uses, such as Concepción Delgado in Sevilla and Federico in Madrid.
Alhambra tours - Guided visits to Alhambra

lrice

Thank you Maribel,

No, we have not bought our Alhambra timed tickets for December yet. (I do have two for October (our original trip) that, unfortunately, will go to waste. I will look at both of these guides!

Maribel

Margarita Ortiz de Landazuri regularly does tours for Rick and is featured in his Spain guide. If she isn't available, we have also used Patricia Ortiz de Landazuri many times, also a licensed professional guide. You can tell her that I recommended her. In both cases, you purchase your timed entrance to the Nasrid Palace, and they work around this.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://es.linkedin.com/in/patricia-...azuri-63404090

Maribel

I just gave you another recommendation but my post is in moderation. Stay tuned!

lrice

You are awesome! Thank you!

Do you have any atmospheric tea houses that you recommend? We are looking forward to immersing in the Moorish culture of Granada!

Maribel

Hi Lrice,
There are soooo many in and around Calle Elvira and Calle de la Calderería la Vieja is known as the Calle de las Teterías (street of the tea houses). This kasbah like area is often referred to as Little Morocco. The tea houses are very popular with u. students.

Here are 3 that you might consider-
Tetería La Oriental at Cuesta Marañas, 3
Tetería Palacio Nazarí at Calle Calderería Vieja, 4
Tetería Dar Ziryab at Calle Calderería Nueva, 11

Or...you can just choose with your eyes and nose

lrice

Hi Maribel, Just a quick note that it looks like Cafe Pasteleria Lopez-Mezquita is closed.

Maribel

Irice,
When google says "temporarily closed", it often just reflects the usual month of August closure. This may be the case, or perhaps it isn't. Their Instagram page hasn't changed since Christmas.

Google also that ESTELA HOJALDRE in the Barrio de las Letras on Plaza de Jesús is "temporarily closed" , but I emailed them and they answered right away that this reflected their August closure and that September they would reopen. That's good because it has delicious pastries.

I've seen several cases of this during the month of August, when many family-run shops close for the entire month, for vacation or for renovation. I just don't know.

Maribel

Lrice,
There´s another cafetería/pastelería at Reyes Católicos 28 (same street as L.M., ----Pastelería Rey Fernando founded in 1945.

lrice

Yes, that makes sense about being temporarily closed for August. I have seen a few other restaurants with something similar! Thank you!

lrice

Taberna la Tana looks amazing and I definitely will make a reservation there or be there upon opening!

We are thinking about a Tapas Tour and this particular one combines a historical walking tour of the Albaicin with Tapas tasting. Does anyone know of any others we should research?/

​​​​​​https://www.granadatapastours.com/pr...lbaicin-route/

Maribel

Hi Lrice,
Taberna la Tana is amazing!

Gayle does a lovely job with her tapas tours. She comes highly recommended by my friend of Shawn Hennessey, of Azahar Tapas, who does these in Sevilla.

https://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/la-tana/
https://diningwithfrankie.com/2020/0...anada-1-23-20/

adlmllr

We'll be in Granada in October, and are booked for an Albaicin walk and tapas tours with Irene, from https://tapasingranada.rocks/. Our communications with her have been very easy, and warm. We were interested in a private tour for just myself and my husband, not a regularly scheduled group tour. As it turns out, there will be another person joining us, a solo female traveler who was interested in the same date, and Irene was very careful to make sure we were comfortable with that. She also offers some interesting hikes as well, but sadly we won't have time for that.

lrice

Thank you adlmllr,

Please let us know how it goes!

The group that Maribel mentioned also has an Albaicin historical tour followed by a visit to 3-4 tapas bars. Sounds like a great combination to me!

lrice

We are still debating whether or not to take a Tapas Tour on our second night in Granada. One of the walking tours I found goes through the Albayzin and ends in the flat area taking us to four different Tapas Bars. But if we do that, I am afraid we will run out of time to try some of the wonderful suggestions provided here, such as Taberna la Tana.

Any thoughts? I like the idea of someone "teaching" us how to visit a Tapas Bar since we are in Spain for almost a month, yet, we probably can figure it out.

Maribel

Well, for newcomers to Spain for an initiation to tapas ordering/eating in their first Spanish city, or those who travel solo and want to meet fellow travelers, I think that the tapas tours are a good idea, but..... for repeat visitors, you can figure it out on your own.

Our rotation: St Germain at Postigo Velutti, 4 (also Repsol recommended)---closed Sun/Mon
Los Manueles for croquettes at Reyes Católicos 61
Either the bar at Cunini (for their habitas con jamón) or the bar at Oliver next door (for their Russian salad, ensaladilla rusa), both on the Plaza de la Pescadería----
Los Diamantes II at Rosario 12, after passing Taberna la Tana on your left, for seafood tapas----open daily
(The original Diamanes on Calle Navas is a hole-in-the-wall. The newest on Plaza Nueva attracts the most visitors)
*Taberna la Tana at Placita del Agua 3, off Rosario, for the best of wines and tapas prepared in the tiny kitchen, lovely brother/sister team---open daily, in evening at 8:30 pm

For first timers
Bodegas Castañeda at Almireceros, 1 (in all the guides but the classic old time, bohemian bar since 1927)----open daily
Chikito, of García Lorca fame, at Plaza del Campillo 9, for very traditional granadino fare ----closed Wed.