Last Updated on August 12, 2024
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On my very first trip to Spain, I spent 2 days in Granada, and I sure picked a city, that set the bar pretty high. Granada is located in the south of Spain, in the Andalusia region, right next to Sierra Nevada mountains. One thing you notice right away, is the heavy influence of Granada’s Moorish past on the city. Granada was under Muslim ruling for some 700 years, and the Arabic influence can be seen everywhere. From the stunning Alhambra, the Moorish architecture in Albaicin to the ever present Moroccan stores, tea shops and Arab baths.
One of the things I really loved about Granada, was that it’s not overwhelming. It’s much smaller and not very crowded compared to other big Spanish cities like Barcelona or Madrid. Granada is very compact and you can pretty much see everything by walking around. As long as you don’t mind the hills, that is. Neigborhoods like Sacromonte and UNESCO recognized Albaicin are pretty hilly and there are lots of stairs involved.
The beautiful Alhambra is the biggest draw and the reason many visit Granada, myself included. But the city has so much more to offer and I recommend spending a couple of days exploring it. I feel like 2 full days in Granada is a perfect amount of time to see all top attractions. You’ll need half a day just to see the Alhambra without rushing through it, and the rest to see all the other beautiful parts of the city.
2 days in Granada, Spain – top things to do in Granada
Even though Granada is not a big city, there’s plenty to do and see. Most people travel to Granada to visit the incredible Alhambra and while that is a good reason, there’s much more to do than that. That’s why I recommend at least 2 days to see all that the city has to offer. If you are wondering what to do in Granada, below are my top choices for things to do in this beautiful, often overlooked city in Spain.
Visit the Alhambra
The list of top things to do in Granada cannot start with anything other than visiting the Alhambra. It’s one of the biggest attractions, not just in Granada, but in all of Spain. A lot of people come to Granada just to see the Moorish Palace and it’s estimated that 2 million people visit each year. Thsi makes it the second most visited place in Spain, right after Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
This enormous ancient palace complex sits on a hill overlooking the city. It was without a doubt one of the most stunning and impressive places I’ve seen in my travels. I’d even go as far as to say, that you simply cannot go to Granada and not visit the Alhambra. If you have at least 2 days in Granada, it should definitely be on your itinerary.
For a more detailed guide, read Visiting the Alhambra in Spain – all you need to know.
There are 3 main parts of the Alhambra complex: Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces and gardens of Generalife. This is the exact order in which I visited, but it’s totally up to you where you start, as long as you are at Nasrid Palaces at the time stated on your ticket. You must enter within the 30 minute window, and they are very strict about this, so it’s important to be on time.
Alcazaba
Alcazaba is a military fortress and the oldest part of the Alhambra. It’s close to Nasrid Palaces, so it’s a good place to start your visit, if you show up a little bit early. With many watch towers, this is where you will get the best views of the city.
Nasrid palaces
Nasrid Palaces are often a highlight of the visit for many. As you move through the rooms, halls and courtyards, you cannot stop marveling at the insane beauty of the place and the incredible attention to detail. And it’s everywhere you look : walls, ceilings and floors. This place is absolutely stunning.
Court of the Myrtles is one of most recognizable parts of the Palaces. The beautiful courtyard along with the long pond in the center, got its name from the myrtle bushes surrounding the pond.
Court of the Lions is the main courtyard in the Palaces and probably the most photographed part of the Alhambra. This was the private part of the Palaces. It’s named after the fountain of 12 lions, that you can see right in the middle. The central patio is surrounded by gorgeous columns.
Another beautiful area of the Alhambra is Partal, which is one of the oldest parts of the complex. It has the Tower of the Ladies with the adjacent small houses, and the beautiful garden with the pool mirroring the building.
Generalife
I finished my visit with a walk through gardens of Generalife, which served as a get away from the official affairs of the Palace. While strolling through the gardens, you get a pretty nice view of the Alhambra grounds, the city and snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s full of beautiful flowers, plants, bushes and many fruit trees. I could just picture how gorgeous the flowers must look right after they bloom in April or May.
The popularity of this place makes it hard to visit if you don’t plan ahead. It’s best to book your Alhambra tickets online as soon as they are released (online ticket sales open 2 months in advance). Each ticket has a timed entrance, which is for Nasrid Palaces only. You can also visit the Alhambra with a knowledgeable guide by joining a small group tour. This will not only enhance your visit, but you’ll also be able to skip the line. You can book a guided tour here.
PRO TIP: If you missed out on booking your Alhambra tickets online, there’s still a chance you will be able to score a ticket through your hotel. A certain number of tickets are put aside and distributed among the hotels for the guests.
Take a Free Walking Tour of Granada
I’m a huge fan of free walking tours in cities. They are a perfect introduction to a city and a great way to get acquainted with a new place. That’s why I would recommend taking it as one of the first things to do in Granada, Spain. You’ll get an overview of the city’s main attractions and learn history behind them.
Also, local guides always have the best tips on where to eat and other great recommendations.
There are several free walking tours in Granada to choose from. I recommend the essential tour with Walk in Granada, which meets every day at 11 am at Plaza Nueva. Or a very similar one with Guru Walk. Be sure to sign up online and do not forget to tip the guide at the end of the tour!
Visit the Granada Cathedral
Catedral de Granada is the second biggest Cathedral in Spain ( right after Seville ) and one of the top Granada attractions. It’s located right in the city center, steps away from Plaza Nueva.
The Cathedral was built on top of a mosque and took over 180 years to complete. While the impressive building mostly represents Renaissance, you can also find Gothic influences.
Granada Cathedral is open Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6:30 pm and Sundays 11- 6.30 pm. The entrance fee is €6 and there’s no need to buy tickets in advance. For more information during your visit, you can download an Audio Guide on your phone for free.
If you prefer a in person guided tour, this 2-hour Cathedral & Royal Chapel Tour is highly rated and recommended.
Hang out at Plaza Nueva
Despite its name, Plaza Nueva is the oldest square in Granada. Back in the day, it’s where tournaments, bull fights and even executions took place. Today, it’s a hopping place with bars, restaurants and great people watching. It’s also a meeting spot for many tours of Granada.
Plaza Nueva is surrounded by many great and important buildings such as the Royal Chancellery and the House of Pisa.
Take a walk down Carrera del Darro
From Plaza Nueva, you can head towards Carrera del Darro. This narrow street runs along Darro River and is one of the most scenic walks in Granada. The street is lined with beautiful, old buildings from the 16th and 17th century. During the walk you get beautiful views of Alhambra sitting up on the hill across the river.
Wander the streets of Albaicin
Albaicin, also known as Albayzin, is the oldest neighborhood in Granada. It’s also UNESCO recognized.
One of the best things to do in Granada, is to wander the streets and Albaicin is the perfect place for it. The whole neighborhood is a huge maze of narrow alleys, beautiful courtyards, white-washed houses, many decorated with colorful flowers. There’s no better way to explore it, than by putting your map away and getting lost.
Albaicin sits on the hill, overlooking the Alhambra and it’s where you’re going to get the best views of the massive complex. In fact, Albaicin is home to the best and most popular view point in the city, Mirador de San Nicolás ( more on that below ).
Because this neighborhood is quite hilly with lots of steps, be ready for some exercise. If you have mobility issues, or just don’t want to walk up the hill, you can always take the bus up, and walk back. Catch C31, C32 or C34 at Plaza Nueva all the way to Plaza San Nicolás.
Enjoy the views from Mirador de San Nicolás
After visiting the Alhambra, you need to take a look at it from a distance to get a true sense of how massive it is. The most popular look out is Mirador de San Nicolas in Albaicin neighborhood. From the terrace you can get a perfect view of The Alhambra with the snow capped Sierra Nevada as the backdrop. There are some pretty good views of the rest of the city as well.
Like all the other popular spots, it does gets crowded, so head early to enjoy the view without the crowds and get the perfect photo without others’ heads in it. I showed up at 9 am, and there were maybe 4 other people there. The place becomes pretty busy as the goes by, not just because of more visitors, but also performers and vendors selling stuff. At night it becomes quite a party, with street performers, and many people trying to catch a glimpse of the amazing Alhambra at sunset and later at night.
How to get to Mirador de San Nicolás
- Walking – if you are relatively fit and don’t mind tackling some hilly streets, you can reach Mirador de San Nicolás by walking through the pretty streets in Albaicin district.
- C 31 bus – you can catch the minibus from Plaza Nueva and get to the viewpoint in just a few minutes. The bus that makes the loop running from Plaza Nueva through the Albaicin district (with one of the stops near the Mirador). Bus fare is €1.40 one way.
Visit Sacromonte
After a “little” walk up the hill from Plaza Nueva, in the valley of Valparaiso you will find Sacromonte. This was the neighborhood in which the gypsies, who arrived in Granada in the 15th century, first settled. It quickly became my favorite part of the city. Full of whitewashed houses and caves, with amazing views of the Alhambra and the city. The caves, in which they lived are still there, although a bit modernized. Some are open to visitors, and for a small fee you can get a glimpse at what life was like for the gypsies. Some of the caves host flamenco shows at night, but they are mostly geared towards tourist groups.
The climb is no joke, especially in the July heat, but once you get there, you will get rewarded with amazing views. And the higher you climb, the better the views get. Only then you will realize how hilly Granada is. If you have no interest in walking, the little C 34 bus will get you from Plaza Nueva to right in front of the Sacromonte Abbey.
See a Flamenco show
No trip to Granada in Spain is complete without seeing a Flamenco show. Even though you can find flamenco shows all over Spain, the most authentic ones are in Andalusia, as it’s deeply rooted in the gypsy culture from that region. There’s an abundance of flamenco shows in the city, but many of them became very touristy and have little to do with an authentic flamenco performance. The key is to find a theatre rather than a restaurant type of setting.
I happened to be staying next door to a great little place called Casa del Arte Flamenco, that had two shows every night. With just around 30 seats, it was a pretty intimate setting. The 4 person show (2 dancers, 1 guitar player, and a singer) was as authentic as it gets. It was simple, intimate and passionate. Unlike a lot of flamenco venues, there was no dinner and photography was not allowed until the last 5 minutes. The focus was really on the performance without much distraction.
You can book the same 1 hour Flamenco show at Casa del Arte Flamenco here.
Enjoy Free Tapas
Granada is known to be one of the last places in Spain, where you get free tapas with an order of a drink. Each round of a drink comes with a new serving of tapas. Not every bar will do it, but a lot of them still do. The sizes and types of tapas vary, and you basically get what they serve that day. It’s a huge part of life and culture in Granada. If you do some bar hopping, you can actually make a little meal out of the free tapas.
There are so many great tapas places in Granada. Some of the favorites are Los Diamantes and Bodegas Castañeda. They are always packed with locals, which is a good sign. You can also just walk around, see what looks good and stop there, which is one of the fun things to do in Granada.
There’s also a fun tour you can join, Tapas Crawl, where you get to visit 4 different tapas places with a local guide. As always, they know the best spots, that you will not find in most travel guides and probably would not discover on your own. You can book the 3-hour Tapas Crawl Tour here.
How to get to Granada, Spain
Fly to Granada
Granada has an airport, located about 9.5 miles (15 km) west of the city. Getting to the city center from there is really easy thanks to an airport bus operated by Alsa. One way ticket costs just €3, paid directly to the driver. The bus makes several stops, and it takes about 40 minutes to reach the city center.
Fly to Málaga
A lot of people coming to Granada choose to fly to Málaga. This is the biggest international airport in Andalusia, so there are more connections and flights are usually cheaper, especially if you are flying from overseas.
Once in Málaga, you are 2 hours away from Granada. The cheapest way to get to Granada is by bus. Alsa, the biggest bus operator in Spain, runs several times a day, so it’s easy to coordinate with your flight. It takes about 2 hours and tickets cost €7-14, depending on the comfort of the bus. The bus station in Granada where you arrive is located about 15 minutes by taxi from the city center.
Where to stay in Granada, Spain
With just 2 days in Granada, my main recommendation would be to stay in a central location, close to most attractions. Even though the city is very compact, you don’t want to be too far from the town center and have to rely on taxis and public transportation. Historic Center and Albaicin are both great neighborhoods to stay in, with plenty of hotel choices. Here are some great hotel recommendations, all in excellent location, a walking distance to most of must see places in Granada.
Puerta de las Granadas – this boutique hotel is a great choice if you are looking for an affordable accommodations in an excellent location. It’s right off Plaza Nueva, around the corner from the Cathedral and a short walk up the hilly street to the Alhambra. In fact, some of the rooms have a nice view of the Palace up on the hill.
Hotel Casa 1800 Granada – this boutique hotel in a beautiful historical building continues to be one of the favorite places to stay in Granada. The location is excellent, just steps away from Plaza Nueva, Cathedral, Carrera del Darro and a 15 minute walk to Alhambra.
Hotel Palacio Santa Ines – this historical hotel is located in the beautiful Albaicin district, famous for its winding streets. You can enjoy great views of Alhambra from some of the rooms, as well as the hotels’ terrace.
If you enjoyed this article, you can download it via the GPSmyCity app – it will give you access to the guide, you will be able to use, even if you’re offline. Download it here.
READ MORE:
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