This is the sixth post in a 7-part series about our Spain adventure! After an incredible dive into the history of Córdoba and Seville, we headed further east into the mountains of Andalusia. Our destination was the spectacular city of Granada, a place where vibrant Spanish culture seamlessly blends with centuries of breathtaking Islamic history. We spent a couple of days exploring its labyrinthine neighborhoods, sampling the local flavors, and visiting the world-famous Alhambra.
Day 1: Historic Architecture and Late-Night Tapas
Córdoba to Granada Train Ride
From Córdoba, we caught the train to Granada. The smooth rail journey took us through yet another vast, sweeping agricultural area of Spain. It seemed like the endless groves of silver-green olive trees stretched all the way to the horizon, a beautiful reminder of why Andalusia is the world’s leading producer of olive oil.
Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa
Arriving at the train station, we took a taxi for the final mile or so to our hotel. The ride got pretty exciting at the end as the driver masterfully navigated narrow, winding alleys that were hardly wider than a car length. Somehow, he got us right to the Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa. We were thrilled with the location—it was nestled just a block or two off the main street, making it an easy walking distance to nearly everything we wanted to see.
Granada Cathedral
After checking in, we immediately headed out to explore the area. Since the Granada Cathedral (Catedral de Granada) was just a couple of blocks away, we made that our first official visit. Unlike the medieval Gothic cathedrals found elsewhere in Spain, Granada’s cathedral is a masterpiece of the Spanish Renaissance. Commissioned by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand after the fall of Granada in 1492, it was built directly over the city’s main mosque to symbolize the triumph of Catholic rule.
Having seen a lot of cathedrals throughout Europe, you sometimes expect them to start looking a bit the same, but there are always incredible surprises in the artwork, soaring architecture, and (in this case) grand white-and-gold columns. We were thoroughly impressed by the sheer scale and light inside this monument.
Plaza Nueva
Next, we walked over to Plaza Nueva. Despite its name (“New Square”), it is actually the oldest square in the city. We were specifically looking to scout out the Granada City Tour tourist train—a convenient, hop-on-hop-off motorized train that negotiates the incredibly steep hillsides of the city. We wanted to see what the deal was with tickets and schedules for later.
Pilar de Toro
Right in the Plaza Nueva area, we stopped to admire and snap a photo of the Pilar de Toro (Fountain of the Bull). This historic 16th-century stone fountain features a carved bull’s head flanked by mythological figures, and it stands as one of the last remaining Renaissance public water pillars in the city.
Royal Chancellery (Real Chancillería)
Dominating one side of the plaza is the highly ornate Royal Chancellery building. Established by the Catholic Monarchs in 1500, this grand Mannerist-style palace served as the supreme court for the southern half of Spain. Its imposing facade and beautiful courtyard are great examples of early judicial architecture.
Church of San Gil y Santa Ana
At the very eastern edge of the plaza, where the valley begins to narrow along the river, rises the striking Church of San Gil y Santa Ana. Built in the 1530s, it’s distinguished by its brilliant mudéjar brick bell tower – once the minaret of the mosque that originally occupied on the site.
Puente Romano (Puente del Aljibillo)
From the church, we wandered down along the rushing waters of the Darro River along the scenic path known as the Carrera del Darro. We came across an ancient stone bridge—often locally tied to Roman foundations but rebuilt extensively in the Moorish medieval period (frequently called the Puente del Aljibillo). It is completely pedestrianized now and offers a postcard-perfect view looking up at the towering cliffs of the Alhambra. We found a great little spot nearby to grab a drink and kill some time.
Granada Spice and Food Tour
We had signed up for a spice and food tour at the absolute last minute. Nancy noticed we had a couple of open hours that afternoon, and remarkably, we managed to book it for that same day. It turned out to be a fantastic experience—a perfect blend of a cultural walking tour and a culinary crawl.
Our first stop featured local wine paired with a small snack. From there, our guide took us into a traditional spice store packed with aromatic sacks of teas, saffron, and exotic spices that have been imported into this region since the days of the Silk Road trade. We finished the tour at an authentic local tavern for a massive, delicious dinner, followed by a final stop dedicated entirely to local Andalusian desserts. Our tour guide was incredibly interesting—a Russian expat who had immigrated to Spain 15 or 20 years ago, offering a unique perspective on the city.
Granada at Night
With the food tour wrapped up, we took a slow, relaxed walk back to our hotel. The city takes on a completely different magic after dark, and we loved seeing the historic fountains and grand stone buildings beautifully illuminated by the night lights.
Day 2: The Mighty Alhambra and the Albaicín Heights
The Alhambra and Generalife
Today was the big event: our scheduled tour of the magnificent Alhambra. This massive, sprawling UNESCO World Heritage site is world-famous, and it’s strictly managed—you absolutely must secure your tickets months in advance.
The Alhambra (derived from Arabic meaning “The Red One”) was the palace, citadel and fortress complex of the Nasrid Sultans – the final Muslim dynasty in Spain. It represents the absolute pinnacle of Moorish art and engineering, famous for its intricate mathematical stucco, quiet reflecting pools and defensible hilltop positioning. It is a self-contained city separate from the rest of Granada below. It contained most of the amenities of a Muslim city such as a mosque, public baths, roads, houses, artisan workshops, a tannery, and a sophisticated water supply system. At its peak, it contained at least six major palaces. The most famous and best-preserved palaces are the Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions, and the Partal Palace, which form the main attraction to visitors today. At the Alhambra’s western tip is the Alcazaba fortress. Multiple smaller towers and fortified gates are also located along the Alhambra’s walls. Outside the Alhambra walls and located nearby to the east is the Generalife, a former Nasrid country estate and summer palace accompanied by historic orchards and modern landscaped gardens
Alhambra Gardens
We were incredibly fortunate that our guide got us into the complex early in the morning. Our first hour was spent exploring the sprawling, lush gardens of the Generalife (the Sultan’s summer villa). We walked through the rows of blooming flowers, towering cypresses, and bubbling fountains without the heavy tourist crowds which made for spectacular photography.
Alhambra Courtyard
Eventually, we moved into the grand interior courtyards and palaces where the crowds began to pick up. The jaw-dropping geometric tilework and carved ceilings still allowed for some great photos.
Mirador de San Cristóbal
After completing our massive palace hike, we left Alhambra and decided it was time to catch that little tourist train we looked into on Day 1. We rode it straight up into the steep, historic hills overlooking the city to explore the famous viewpoints. We hopped off the train at the Mirador de San Cristóbal, a high vantage point next to an ancient church line that offers sweeping, panoramic views across the entire valley, the old city walls below, the Cathedral, and the Sierra Nevada mountains. After taking some pictures, we decided to skip the train and walk along the historic lanes to the next major lookout.
Mirador de San Nicolás
A short walk brought us to the most famous viewpoint in the city: the Mirador de San Nicolás. The atmosphere here was incredibly lively, packed with local artists selling crafts, street performers playing flamenco guitar, and travelers taking in the view. The vantage point looks directly across the valley at the entire red-stone profile of the Alhambra with the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains towering directly behind it.
Looking for a Place to Have Lunch
Hungry from all the walking, we started exploring the side streets of the ancient Albaicín neighborhood (the old Moorish quarter) looking for a bite to eat.
El Picoteo
We stumbled upon a fantastic little restaurant called El Picoteo and got a table sitting outside.
Initially, we just planned to sit down for a quick beer and a light snack, but we quickly got fully immersed in Granada’s legendary culinary tradition. In Granada, whenever you order a drink, the tavern automatically brings out a complimentary small plate of food (tapas). Every time we ordered another round of cold beer, our waiter brought out a completely different, delicious tapas dish. We were given food we likely would never order, including but not limited to sardines. For the record, we’d never had sardines and while taken aback by eating a whole fish – bones, eyeballs, etc. – it was actually delightful! By the time we were done, we had enjoyed a wonderfully substantial, authentic meal.
Wandering the Albaicín Quarter
After our long, leisurely lunch, we began a long, winding walk back down the hill through the heart of the Albaicín. This neighborhood has retained its medieval Moorish layout, and we spent a couple of hours snapping photos of the white-washed houses, hidden villas (cármenes), and narrow stone steps that make this historic district so famous.
Exploring Downtown Granada
Dinner at D’Italy
Following a few hours of resting up and wandering around the lower neighborhoods, Nancy and I wanted to grab a light dinner before we headed back to the room to pack. Needing a change of pace, we found a great little Italian place nearby called D’Italy. We enjoyed some excellent pizza and pasta, settled in for a quiet evening, and once we were thoroughly full, we headed back to the hotel to get our bags packed for tomorrow’s transit.
Summary
Our few days in Granada were an absolute blast, filled with incredible sights and unparalleled history. Now, our luggage is ready, and we are headed southwest to Málaga! We’ll be using the coastal city as our anchor point to explore the rugged southern edge of Spain, journeying up into the dramatic mountains to visit iconic cliffside towns like Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas. Our Spanish adventure rolls on!
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