What to do in Grenada

Granada is my favourite city in Spain. Easily. Its so beautiful, diverse and bohemian that I just felt instantly at home. Often referred to as the Moorish jewel, it has a style and energy thats really unique! Its in the Andalusia region right at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Picture walking down warm cobblestone streets lined with orange trees, stunning moorish architecture all around you, Rioja flowing like water and views of the mountains that will take your breath away. Pretty epic right!

CHECK IT OUT BY FOOT

Granada is not a huge town, and you can easily make your way around on foot. In fact, its better to wander slowly through the winding, maze like streets! Granada’s history is extremely complex and colourful as it has been under both Muslim and Catholic rule. Its really clear to see the Castillian, Moroccan and Moorish influences in the artwork, architecture and even in the way the city was fortified! I started out in the Realjo - San Matias neighbourhood, which is where the Catedral de Granada is. Its more of a gothic-style of building, but shouldn’t be missed! Next door is the Royal Chapel of Granada. Its an extremely important building for Spaniards and history buffs alike because Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand are buried there. You can’t take any pictures inside but its so intricate, gilded and glorious.
WATCH OUT! In this area there are a lot of women who will come up and try to give you rosemary. They will try to say its an old Spanish blessing for good luck, don’t touch it or take it. Say ‘no gracias’ and walk away.

Take your time and wander through the Albaicín, which is the old Muslim quarter. It definitely feels a little bit like a labyrinth, and also goes up and down hill so don’t feel too stressed out if you get a little lost! Some of the best streets I walked down were ones I accidentally turned on to, and they were so narrow I could probably just about touch either side with my arms stretched out! Start by checking out the fajalauza houses. Fajalauza is a type of pottery thats been made in the city for the last five centuries and was used to decorate both the inside and outside of houses. In part of this district some of the houses are still covered with pots of germaniums and blue and white plates.
The coolest thing about this neighbourhood is thats over the centuries its still maintained it characteristic atmosphere and every time I walked through a vine wrapped gate, or under a perfectly sculpted clay archway I completely felt transported to another place and time!
The Albaicín famously has the best lookout points and views in all of Grenada. You can see the Sierra Nevada mountain range, you can see the perfect postcard shot of the Alhambra.

As you walk downhill again the Albaicín will eventually lead to the city’s famous market the Alcaiceria. You’ll find all sorts of knick-knacks, souvenirs, authentic pottery, and local crafts that I really didn’t find anywhere else in Spain. I’ve been to lots of markets all over the world from Marrakech to Cusco, Mexico City to Rome, and one thing they all have in common is they can get overwhelming and stressful with people pushing products on you and shouting, but surprisingly this market was really chill! Vendors tended to just leave you to your own devices! I remember walking with my friend Lauren and literally not knowing where to look because there was something amazing to see on every building around us! Have a wander, you won’t regret it.

SAMPLE THE CUISINE

The food in Granada was show stopping, but whats better than tapas? Free tapas! Yes, Granada is one of the few places in Spain where you can still get a free tapas when you order a drink! I actually had no idea what was going on the first time it happened, I just ordered a sangria and next thing I know there was a tiny rice dish in front of me. Eventually I figured out that yes, it was for me and yes, it was free. My favourite tapas spot in town is Bodegas Castañeda. Its pretty famous in Granada, & I know lots of people are wary of highly recommended places as they can be touristy, but sometimes a classic is a classic for a reason! In fact there were a lot more locals in there then there were tourists. If you try one thing in this region it has to be the jamón ibérico! Its a dry cured, thinly sliced ham, similar to prosciutto but has its own flavour profile and it is to die for! It only comes from black Iberian breed pigs, so its actually hard to find authentic jamón ibérico. Its a hot little spot with mismatched pottery and artwork all over the walls, portraits, paper decoration and legs of meat strung up on the ceilings. A good thing to know is that Granadinos can be pretty blunt and direct, its not them being rude its just part of their custom, so don’t be offended if they don’t say please or thank you.

I’m a big nibbler when I travel! I always want to eat everything I can and want to make sure I have enough room for everything. So Spanish tapas is like my ideal food, but also snacking my way through the market was a delicious dream! I could grab a pastry here, some nuts there, a piece of fruit as I walk. There is so much fruit grown in this region that it was really hard to resist. We saw a lady selling the most gorgeous looking strawberries I had ever seen so we just had to stop and try them! There is just something about fresh fruit, ya know?

THE ALHAMBRA

The Alhambra is so unbelievably epic that it gets its own category. When we first arrived and I was told our tour would take a few hours my jaw dropped! Surely it doesn’t take that long to walk around a palace, oh yes it does! Its really more of a walled village that consists of many different palaces, buildings and gardens. Alright so tips first! You absolutely need to book tickets way in advance, it will sell out and there are limited spaces each day. There are different types of tickets and I suggest getting the daytime and garden tickets (the other option is nighttime). There is a lot of info and history here, like an overwhelming amount, so you might enjoy going on a guided tour! If you are worried about the guides rushing, don’t worry they are really good about letting you have time to take photos. Aside from that, have water with you, and If its sunny, wear sunscreen because you will get burnt.

When you enter the grounds, you first stroll through the perfectly manicured gardens filled with fountains, orange trees and all different types of flowers. The air was so fragrant, I could especially pick out the scent of jasmine, its really intoxicating. Not to mention the tiled ponds and butterflies and hummingbirds zipping around through the air. I could have spent a whole day just exploring the gardens alone.

Keeping in line with the rest of Granada, the design of the Alhambra is mostly Moorish in nature with lots of mosaic work, and middle eastern influence, but inside there are ‘newer’ buildings that definitely have more of a classic Spanish vibe. Its just so vast! I’m always amazed at historic architecture because I just end up standing there wondering how on earth did they build it?! There was one palace section that had huge bricks and massive rings meant to tie up horses that were easily three times bigger than my head! The intricacies of the windows, tile and mosaic work and sculpted ceilings were so epic in scale that its actually really hard to describe and photos don’t do it justice. I don’t know about you, but when I walk around buildings like this I instantly feel like i’m back in time or in a movie! Whether you are a history buff, architecture lover, or just want to pretend like you are a Spanish princess, walking through the hundreds of sun kissed courtyards, orchards and fragrant gardens was one of the most memorable things I did in all of Spain!

What are you waiting for?! Go check out Granada and have a sangria for me!
xoxo