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Spain
Tapas bar near the Arab baths, nestling alongside the river below the Alhambra. Holidaying on a shoestring. A couple of beers accompanied by free mammoth tapas and you won't go hungry. Que aproveche!
Carrera del Darro, 37, Granada
Google map: bit.ly/11R8Ows
If you are finding it impossible to get a ticket to the Alhambra, a final resort could always be to purchase a bono (pass). For €25 or €30 it combines entry into the Cathedral among other places, and provides a number of journeys on local buses (you may be grateful, the city is quite hilly, although the ride often feels more like a rollercoaster!!)
Cute as a button, Altiplano Tipis is a quaint luxury tipi camping site near to the town of Baza that we found while travelling around Andalusia.
The three tipis situated in the courtyard were like a picture postcard, brightly coloured yellows and blues against a backdrop of the whitewashed cave house of the friendly owners, Louise and Andrew. The tipis were very comfortable and had a homely feel with coloured rugs on the floor and we even had our own private shower room, which made a nice change from our previous camping experiences!
Louise, the owner, put on a delicious spread every morning for breakfast including stewed fruits, home-made jams, bread and cheeses. The location was very peaceful, with only the sounds of the birds and bees and from the pool we could see the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance. A very relaxing place to have a glass of cava while watching the sunset. For €36 a night for two people including breakfast, this makes a great option for those on a budget or for those looking for something a little bit different.
Canada SoSal,18800 Baza, Spain
www.altiplanotipis.com
Phone: +34 664835417
Nearest airports: Granada and Almeria
This is a great little tapas bar/restaurant within a cool walled garden perched at the top of the hill in the Albaicin in Granada. It is quite difficult to find, tucked away in a little side street, but is well worth it if you can find it.
Fantastic tapas free with every drink and eating off the menu looked pretty good as well.
La Higuera
www.granadainfo.com/higuera/english.htm
Albaicín alto
C/horno de hoyo
958 27 51 56
Granada
The Bodegas Castaneda is the most perfect way to experience local life and beautiful tapas. My mum and I found this bar wandering around (in the rain!) on a Tuesday night in February and it was packed to the barrelled rafters! We tried the manzanilla and were given crusty rustic bread topped with a slice of Manchego cheese and some mouth-wateringly good local jamon. Mmm. Another great bar is just around the corner, Bodega la Antigualla, the bartender was really friendly and with two small beers we received a garlic topped toasted roll filled with jamon and cheese with fries. Not thinking we ordered another drink and got the same again! I'm looking forward to my next trip, just writing this is making me hungry.
Bodegas Castaneda is on Almireceros, head to Plaza Nueva and to the left of the square is Calle Elvira. To the right you'll find Bodega la Antigualla and opposite is Almireceros, walk down there and you'll find Bodegas Castaneda.
granadainfo.com/elvirag/index.htm
This is the absolutely ideal place - as originally recommended by the Guardian. Perfect and funky attention to detail, great and helpful service, the right balance of privacy and community if you want it, easy access to the best of both worlds - old and new city; stunning views, no traffic noise as it's in the middle of the UNESCO world heritage pedestrian zone of the Arab old city, the Albaicin. And it turns out to be the absolute cheapest option in town - if there are more than two of you travelling together, it even works out cheaper than a bunk in a backpackers dorm. So with the individual kitchen in each apartment this is an ideal budget location, too. Or use it as a hotel, don't even bother cooking, and dine out in style in the fab tapas bars and restaurants all around.
Wide selection of herb teas, fruit juices, crêpes (sweet and savoury) in very relaxed and roomy surroundings. They also supply hookahs (argile) that you can smoke from.
Calle San Antón, 61
958520236
(a couple of streets parallel to Corte Inglés department store)
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.
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
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.
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