- Granada
- /
- Andalucia
- (22)
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Spain
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)
A great tapas bar/store on the edge of Elvira (so it is convenient for late nights). A deli by day, you can sample local wines by the glass, each with free tapas- carefully made by the young team.
Order a tabla mixta and you won't need to eat any more, all night! If you want foodie souvenirs they also sell a wide range of local specialities, fresh and dried as well as wines and liqueurs. It is a surprisingly buzzy and friendly place and very popular with locals.
Calle Elvira 150
www.alsurdegranada.net
Tel: 958 270 245
Stay in your own little white-washed house, nestling in the Alpujarras. The owners cultivate organic vines, olives, figs and almonds, some of which end up on the table at dinner. With a swimming pool, library and bodega, this is the perfect get-away.
www.alqueriamorayma.com
CÁDIAR - GRANADA - ALPUJARRA - ANDALUCÍA
Tlf. 958 34 32 21 - 958 34 33 03
Make like the Spanish and enjoy a beer and tapa in the bars in Granada. Most places give you a free tapa when you buy a drink - spend an evening wandering from bar to bar in this beautiful city and you won't need to find a restaurant for dinner.
A small airport with a relaxed atmosphere and a good restaurant, plenty of car hire firms nearby and served by Monarch from Gatwick.
Precious water resources are being squandered, and new housing estates are being built around new courses, sometimes illegally, to the detriment of English buyers, like in my village, Otura, south of Granada.
New golf courses are planned in Andalucia, whilst my farming neighbours do not have enough water to irrigate.
Ocana is a bar/restaurant/ bocadilleria/pizzeria. It's an interesting place with friendly staff, and away from the main tourist areas.
The thing that made it special when we visited (about 5 years ago) was that it was still serving tapas in the traditional way - with every beer, you get a free snack, each one different. The chef was a bit perplexed when we got up to our ninth beer one night!
Parts of the building are pretty old, and the staff were proud to show us around the areas that weren't in use at the time when they saw we were interested.
The patron is a great supporter of local musicians, and eagerly told us (despite very limited English) about a recital of flamenco guitar and singing that was taking place nearby.
If you don't speak Spanish, take a phrase book and be prepared to use it!
Plaza del Realejo, 1
Tel: 958 25 64 70
Although the majority of natural and historic attractions are outside the town Antequera itself is worth a day trip from Granada or Málaga. The Baroque church of El Carmen has a fine exterior and the views from the ruins of the Alcazaba take in the green and lush Sierra de Ronda.
The locals are really friendly and welcome the few tourists who visit their town. There are plenty of hill walks starting from Antequera and leading to El Chorro gorge and the natural park of El Torcal.
Antequera is one of the most authentic country towns of Andalucía with a comforting village atmosphere.
Antequera lies 55km to the north of Málaga on the main rail line to Granada. There are no buses from either Granada or Málaga to Antequera so you have to take the train from either of these cities. The once daily train from Málaga to Granada stops at Antequera, but 7 trains depart daily from Granada to Seville (calling at Antequera) giving you more time to spend in Antequera.
Jaén is not the most spectacular provincial capital of Andalucía but it does have some beautiful attractions which are worthy of a day trip from nearby Granada or Córdoba. The most inspirational monument is the city's cathedral. There is also the Baños Arabes and the Museo Provincial.
Jaén lies 98km to the north of Granada just off the N323 motorway to Madrid. 12 buses depart daily from Granada. The journey takes 2 hours - look out for the famous olive groves creeping down the mountains alongside the motorway.
The last stronghold of the Moors in Iberia, the Alpujarras is an unspoiled region of hilltop villages spilling down from the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Granada. Up here the mule is still an essential form of transport and tapas are still free when you buy a glass of wine in a village bar. Fabulous area for walking and birdwatching.
We stayed in a lovely, newly reformed holiday let with stunning views in Juvíles, one of the highest and prettiest of the villages, about an hour and a half from Granada city.
Well what can I say? The last of the Moorish strongholds. One of the things that Europe really does have going for it is even when conquerers conquered, they took over the magnificent building and did not destroy them. This really is magnificent as well.
No two ways about it if you are in Andalucia for any period of time Granada and this great red castle are a must.
www.hotels-spain-accommodation.com/andalucia/granada/alhambra/
After many trips to Granada I finaly found the perfect place to stay. Its one of those secret places you find that you don't want anyone else to know about, but the owner is a cool guy and I would like to see him do well. Plus it's the best deal in town. With views of the Alhambra from the roof top terraza.
Aljibe de las Tomasas, in the Albayzín, Granada;
tel: (0034) 958 22 0682, or mobile: (0034) 610 32 22 16;
email: info@elnumero8.com;
www.elnumero8.com
There's no better place to sit for a late lunch, enjoying a bottle of chilled Rueda, than Bar Kiki, just off the Mirador de San Nicolas. Their food is good, the ambiance is great, and you can sample some typical Morisco specialties of the area.
For real foodies, check out the new Mediterranean Cooking School, which offers food market tours and multi-day cooking vacations. The School also has apartment rentals.
Bar Kiki: Mirador de San Nicolas, Albaicin, next to Inglesia San Nicolas
Mediterranean Cooking School - tel: 958 201 557 ;
email: info@alhambratravel.com;
www.alhambratravel.com
I lived in Granada whilst studying at the university there and the people of the city are among the friendliest and liveliest in Spain. If there's only one city you should visit in Spain then it has to be Granada.
The construction of the Cathedral took from the 16th to the 18th century. It was built over the former Central Mosque and shows a mix of gothic, renaissance and baroque motifs. It is also the centre point to begin a walk around the town to discover its secrets.
Plaza Pasiegas, just off the Gran Via de Colon.
A beautiful unspoilt village to the north of Granada on the route of the Caliphs.
With a 14th Century Moorish Castle towering over the village, views to the Sierra Nevada and down into Granada, the village is an excellent base from which to explore all around the Granada province and even Cordoba.
Not much English spoken in the village but there are two great bars that both do food, a village shop and the church with the famous painting of El Cristo del Paño (The Christ of/in the Cloth).
www.spanishhideaway.co.uk - where we stayed and info about the village in English, or in Spanish : www.pueblos-espana.org/andalucia/granada/moclin/
View the Alhambra from the plaza beside Granada's Mosque. This is the only place to truly give a feel of what the Alhambra and Granada were like before the massive and extremely ugly building boom got underway some years ago.
The right time of day is at sunset when the Alhambra is tastefully floodlit. Afterwards casually make your way down through the barrio visiting the numerous Flamenco bars.
Numerous tourist buses go to Sacromonte barrio from the centre of Granada.
These rental apartments put you in the heart of the Albaicin district and include a traditional Casa Cueva (cave house). Lovely terraces, and you can walk to flamenco shows in Sacromonte.
A traditional Spanish delicatessen offering the very best of Andalucian products. From outstanding, award winning wines through to high quality oils and vinegars and other deli goods. The orange jam is a must try. And be sure to take home a goats cheese in rosemary – it’s the best you will ever taste. All products are locally sourced and the owner is an Englishman called James who has lived in Granada for nearly 20 years.
Calle San Jerónimo, 3;
tel: 958 206890
Vegetarian/vegan restaurant and tiny guesthouse in the Alpuharas Mountains outside of Granada. After weeks of salad and chips, this vegetarian couldn't get enough of the varied and inventive multicultural fare on offer. Set in a peaceful village, situated in the heart of trekking country, it’s a perfect break in the journey or a place to unwind at the end of the day. Recommended in Rough Guide to Andalucia, but should be more widely known.
Calle Alberca s/n, 18416 Mecina Fondales, La Taha, Granada;
tel: 958857 501;
www.ivu.org/atelier
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