- Granada
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Spain
We stayed in this charming house last June and had a lovely time. The house is comfortable and can sleep up to 6 people and has its own garden with amazing views of the Alhambra. It was fantastic to be able to sit out in the evenings with something to eat and a bottle of wine and just unwind after a day of exploring Granada. It was the perfect base and one of the best holidays I've ever had. We booked it through Granadainfo who were extremely helpful. They have a great website with lots of information about Granada (what to see and do, etc.) and it was good to have someone on the other end of a phone to answer any questions we had.
The house is in Granada's old quarter and its website is granadainfo.com/bo/index.htm
Just had the most amazing week in beautiful Granada. I took Spanish lessons in the morning with two brilliant teachers, really patient, very interactive and lots of fun and my holiday Spanish is now passable which is even better. When the sun eased off, I went out on three-hour treks on a gorgeous horse at the base of the mountains and just soaked up the atmosphere for the evenings before getting back to town to order tapas and wine (in Spanish of course!). It's the first time I've travelled alone but I met some great people and had an inspiring trip.
I booked it with GoLearnTo.com. The web address for the horseriding and Spanish trip was www.golearnto.com/course/overview/1270/Spanish+and+Horse+Riding+Course
A very friendly organic restaurant (no sit in; stand-up and take-away only) with a fabulous selection of dishes inspired by the local food culture. You select two choices for a small 'boat' (small, biodegradable pine dishes) and four for a large - and the sweet mint tea is unlimited. They speak (at least) English, French and Spanish, and are a new venture from the folks who run El Piano in York, UK. My wife and I loved it.
www.el-piano.com/ES-MENU-eng.html
They are located a few minutes' walk from the city centre (nothing in Granada is very far...)
Made in Italy is an Italian bar, pub and pizzeria open from 12:00 to 17:00 and 19:00 to 01:00 and closed on Tuesdays.
This place is fantastic with nice and original decorations but what is best is the particular taste they give to food, typical of south Italy. Tapas are free and you get the best Italian food with every drink.
it's in calle Alhamar 22 Granada madeinitaly.jimdo.com/index.php
The Alhambra is beautiful and really worth a visit. You can see parts of it without tickets but if you want to see the palaces and the wonderful gardens you need them.
Try and book online in advance as the queueing system for buying there is badly organised and can take hours.
This is the official site in English for buying tickets:
tinyurl.com/6hruxo
Thanks goodness we haven't needed to actually use them yet, but I bought two ID wrist bands for the kids to wear on holiday in Granada, in case they got lost in the city or at the Alhambra.
They're made of velcro so are easy to adjust to fit small wrists. You write your name and contact details on a waterproof piece of paper and slip it inside the little pocket on the inside of the wrist band.
I'm sure they would be good for the beach too.
A traditional bar that is still going strong and has resisted being turned into one of the omnipresent kebab joints or pseudo-chic spots that have become so popular in recent years. Probably the only place in Granada where you pay extra for the tapas, but well worth it: pickled aubergines, potato omelette or small rolls with an infinite variety of fillings, washed down with a glass of Jumilla wine from their vats.
It's in Joaquin Costa St., just off Plaza Nueva. Take your phrase book.
Come to Granada in May and experience music, art, culture and sunshine in the beautiful Andalucian mountains. May 16 - 18 2008.
The thing about Granada is that the people are probably the friendliest on the planet. The tapas is great wherever you go, though it pays to keep a weather eye on where the locals are hanging out (but that is the case wherever you go). As I was travelling on a budget the restaurants in that budget were not the Mae West (I once ordered a lemon sorbet and actually got a lemon milkshake, the fresh lemon juice curdling the milk beautifully) but you can live well on the tapas.
A great cheap breakfast is to have tostada e queso (basically cheese on toast) standing at the bar with your coffee. It is always cheaper to stand at the bar.
The sights are things you will remember all your life. The Alhambra set under skies of impossibly deep Andalucian blue are something that have to be witnessed and make your soul sing when you do. Even flying into the airport with the sun sinking behind the Sierra Nevada was a stunning way to start the holiday.
I don't remember one surly, rude or just plain moody person. And I can meet five on a trip to the shops here. I could enthuse about Granada for hours so I will now stop....
Slightly off the tourist trail situated just off the 'Plaza Trinidad' below the Cathedral (so no snappers on the doorstep).
Yes, the decor a is a little OTT including the large basket of faux fruit, (check the web link) but it made for an amusing start to the holiday.
We only stayed for two days (late Feb 2008) so didn't spend much time in or around the hostel but the location was perfectly within walking distance of the Cathedral (2mins), the Albaicin quarter (3/4mins) and the Alhambra (10/15mins to the ticket office); however, if your holiday party includes people not as fit as most then something a little closer to or in the Albaicin might be better as the city is sited on a gradiant with the hostel at the bottom.
Some of the rooms (and the one we stayed in) are situated in a building two doors from the main hostel with the reception.
We had the apartment, but looking back this was perhaps a waste of 20 euros per night as the only things (I imagine) we gained was a flight of stairs to reach our room on the top floor, a tiny 'kitchen' food prep area and tiny terrace with no view.
The kitchen wasn't much use due to the lack of pans (for the two-plate hob) or kettle so no night-time cocoa or early morning tea. Only coffee drinkers were catered for with a stove top coffee pot, but all they provided was clean etc.
Everything in the apartment was clean, tidy and hygenic however the notice in the bathroom reading 'Please do not flush towels, use the bin provided'; with a rather dubious looking open-topped wastepaper bin beside the toilet was a little offputting...
Overall, I'd recommend a stay because the owners are so nice and friendly, making no fuss over the fact we were a gay male couple... but perhaps not in the apartment as it wasn't much use in the end. Save those additional euros for some tapas or drinks in the bustling bar on the plaza instead or the fantastic veggie restaurant Botanico on C/Malaga round the corner.
www.hostallimagranada.com/en/index2.htm
travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/andalusia/granada/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654636214
My first tip is general and simple: wherever you're going, give your child a small digital camera they can call their own.
Then when you visit somewhere like Lorca Park in Granada, with its fantastic gardens and play equipment, and as an adult find yourself compelled to have a go on everything, your child will have a great time snapping away as you giggle hysterically on the revolving see-saw.
Granada, not far from centre, bus routes aplenty
Book a night time visit to the Alhambra, and especially out of season, you will find it very quiet and peaceful compared to the daytime crowds.
Sometimes you will even have the palace entirely to yourself if you go towards the end of the evening, an amazing experience. The palace is open until 11.30pm in the summer season.
But don't forget to check the time of the last minibus back to the centre of town if you don't want to walk down the hill afterwards.
A wonderful unspoiled village high above Orgiva in La Alpujarra, with fantastic views towards the Mediterranean. The village is on the GR7 route, so walking is terrific.
Stay in one of the local rental apartments mentioned below - they're excellent.
This is a comfortable hostel with great facilities. The rooms are kept in immaculate condition and the hostel is in a great setting with shops and restaurants barely a minute away. The park named after the famous playwright Garcia Lorca is right opposite the building.
The kind and jolly owner will help you with anything - in fact, he helped me to settle into the Spanish way of life and to find a flat to share while I was studying in Granada. Without a doubt, the best and most memorable hostel I've ever stayed in.
C/Infanta Beatriz, 3
18412 Granada
The hostel is on the western side of Granada on the ring road.
Take a taxi or take bus no 10 from Granada's bus station. Count 10 stops (including the first one) and get off at the 5th one (Glorieta Arabial). Walk 50m from the stop and on your right you'll see the Caja Granada bank. Cross over the Camino de Ronda (Granada's ring road) and make a right turn down the first street on your right. This is C/Infanta Beatriz. Look out for a palm tree and this hostel is in the corner of building no3.
The Granada RENFE train station is a 15-20 min walk away.
Recommended for a stop-off when in the Las Alpujarra region. Hearty food served in a takeaway format, great for picnics, romantic moments or those lazy days you don't want to cook or go out.
There is also an internet section where you can check your emails waiting for your food.
Take the train from Granada to Ronda. It winds it's way through majestic mountains and lush green valleys, which may well trick you into thinking that you're in Wales instead of Spain (minus the cows!).
These are cave houses in the old town (Barrio Sacromonte) - a great place to stay practically overlooking the Alhambra.
Friendly staff. Basic but clean, with good showers!
We stayed in a double but I think there are bigger ones available. They also include small kitchen/dining areas for those who want to self-cater.
The old town is great (lots of bars, restaurants, nice squares) but if you want to go into the main town, it's only a short leisurely walk.
Really nice to be able to find walks and country routes when you are off the main drag.
The Map Shop is run by a very helpful man who will match a map to your requirements and it is always surprisingly cheap (think we paid about six pounds per map and they always arrive the next day, which has proved v useful!)
We found the
Mapa Provincial Granada, Direccion General del Instituto Geografico Nacional, Ministerio de Fomento useful, but also bought Parque Natural, Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama.
www.themapshop.co.uk/
It is in Upton on Severn, UK
Freephone: 0800 085 40 80
Tel: +44 (0)1684 593146
A guesthouse run by by Brits for a cosmopolitan and sporty crowd. The purpose-built accommodation is five minutes outside of a tiny village called Santa Cruz, near to Alhama de Granada.
Geoff and Sally the hosts can recommend local bars and restaurants, or serve a dinner of local produce and wine on request.
They also provide walking and cycling suggestions which we thought were fantastic, and meant that we saw a lot more of the local area than we had expected to manage.
The hotel is near enough to the Sierra Nevada ski resort to be on the slopes in just over an hour apparently.
Alhama de Granada itself is a spa town and has hot springs which you can cycle to. Local families use them by day and they are a favourite chillout spot post-clubbing.
www.elamparo-granada.com
Cortijo Lorenzo, Santa Cruz del Comercio, 181292 Granada
Tel: 00 34 628 96 7755
A good value, friendly hotel. Convenient location with only a short walk to bars, restaurants or public transport, including the Alhambra bus that you will be catching early, if you forgot to buy tickets in advance!
The hotel is calm and quiet and has a nice central courtyard with a fountain (everywhere in Granada seems to have some sort of flowing water and it is surprisingly soothing I think).
It is possible to reserve parking space in a private carpark. It was unusually cold whilst we stayed there and we were glad of the tea-making facilities and bath, though neither felt like a very spanish touch to the room!
Triana Baja 7
Tel: +34 958 27 19 79
www.abadiahotelgranada.com
abadiahotel@gmail.com
(I found availability at booking.com when the abadia website showed full occupancy, so try there if no joy)
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