If your idea of a great destination includes fascinating history, memorable architecture, unique local cuisine and culture, and Mediterranean weather, Granada is pretty much made for you.
Granada is a compact city, and if you enjoy walking through historic streets, you can really stay anywhere, because the majority of the headline sights are within walking distance of each other. If you’d prefer to walk a little less, and on flatter terrain, the Centro neighbourhood is definitely the best place to stay. This is the historic old town, so has the lion’s share of the major sights. It’s also well set up for visitors, with plenty of accommodation options, great places to eat, drink, and shop, etc. Expect the Cathedral, tapas bars on tap, and luxury brands. If you’re hoping for a more authentic feel, consider the neighbourhoods of Albaicín or Sacromonte. Albaicín is the old Arab quarter, with romantic narrow, cobbled streets and white houses, and some of the best views of the Alhambra in the city. Saromonte is less central, but has the fascinating cave dwellings you may have read about, and is a wonderful place to enjoy flamenco! If you love an evening out, the Realejo neighbourhood is a good choice; it’s also known for its culinary scene and street art.
Ideal for: first-time visitors, city breaks, sightseeing, families, foodies, shopping, people who don't like hills!
Granada’s Centro, or Centro-Sagrario, neighbourhood, is bustling, historic, walkable, and flat! Here you’ll find the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, as well as Granada’s major market, the Mercado de San Agustin, shopping streets, and lively tapas bars, restaurants and cafes. Centro is a great neighbourhood for vintage shopping too, and admiring historic architecture.
If you want to stay close to the Alhambra, Centro is probably the best neighbourhood to consider. There are only a handful of hotels that are actually close to the entrance (it sits on slightly higher ground). If you’re super focused on the Alhambra, you can actually stay within its walls, at the Alhambra Palace Hotel.
Did you know? Granada Cathedral was actually built on top of the city's main mosque (after the Christian conquests). Queen Isabella wanted it to be built on the site of the Alhambra, but it was supposedly too small!
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Ideal for: unique accommodation, families, sightseeing, music lovers
Sacromonte is best known for its cave dwellings: lime-washed homes cut from caves in Valparaíso hill. These were homes to the local Romani people since they began to be carved out in the 15th century, and there’s still a rich Romani cultural presence here — probably most noticeable audibly... the sound of flamenco music is an almost ever-present background sound in Sacromonte! The Sacromonte Cave Museum is the obvious place to dive a bit deeper into cave living; there are reconstructed traditional caves to explore, from several time periods. The Romani flamenco traditions are the other major draws here; there are a couple of caves-turned-venues, where you can experience its unique vibrancy. Another local must-see attraction is Sacromonte Abbey, which sits atop the hill and has fantastic views. This is also where you'll find incredible 17th century catacombs. If you do choose to stay in Sacromonte, be prepared for the hilly terrain, and meal times that will feel late to some of us.
Did you know? One of the great advantages of the cave homes is that they remain at a consistent temperature year-round; they're cooled and warmed by the surrounding hill.
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Ideal for: sightseeing, architecture lovers, history buffs, families, couples, photographers
Albaicín’s Moorish architecture and ancient mosques have been preserved well enough for the whole neighbourhood to get a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1984. Today the neighbourhood is a maze of whitewashed houses, all squashed together, but with surprise courtyards and squares. The majority of these homes have a walled garden, often with ancient fruit trees and grape vines. You can feel the organic nature of its birth and growth; there are dead ends that make it easy to get lost — actually, that was part of the idea: invaders would get lost too! One of the neighbourhood’s best-known streets is colloquially called Calle de las Teterias (which translates to Tea House Street), because this is where you can find many traditional Arabic tea houses. After you’ve had your tea, it’s worth seeing out Albaicín’s churches, because many of them were converted from mosques.
Did you know? Albaicín has one of the best viewing spots in Granada, called The Mirador de San Nicolás.
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Ideal for: foodies, city breaks, sightseeing, night owls, party people, history buffs
Realejo has a different look to the other historic parts of the city. This was the Jewish quarter, and the architecture on these narrow, winding, steep streets looks more recognisably Medieval, with Renaissance and Gothic elements also noticeable. Quite a bit of it has now been further decorated with street art and murals, especially the neighbourhood’s ‘higher ground’, close to the walls of the Alhambra, where you can spot lots of works by a famous local graffiti artist. For many people the real reason to visit, or stay, in Realejo is the food. This is one of the best places in Granada for tapas; some streets are endlessly lined with tapas bars. The nightlife is lively as well. Realejo has a number of noteworthy sights, including several impressive palaces, churches and monasteries, plus the only surviving laundry and washhouse in the city — worth visiting if you're interested in how people attempted to keep clean in the Medieval period…
Did you know? Realejo's main square has a statue of Christ called the Cristo de los Favores, or Christ of Favours, and on Good Friday at 3pm, locals gather to knock on the statue's base and ask for three favours.
