GRANADA Economic Travel Guide
The route of Andalusia its indispensable city..
Granada is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with its snowy peaks throughout the year, at the junction of the Beiro, Darro, Genil and Monachil rivers. established. Due to this feature, it has a rich climate, the Alpine vegetation of the Sierra Nevada and the tropical shore of the Motril river, where the temperature is -10°C in winter, while the average temperature is 15°C. It has a perfect view.
TO REACH GRANADA: HOW TO GET TO GRANADA?
By plane: Granada Airport is located 20 km from the city. There are direct flights to Granada by VUELING or IBERIA airlines from many cities.. Apart from that, you can use the airports in Barcelona or Madrid and reach Granada by domestic flight, train or car.
Take the public buses from Granada airport to the city center. or you can use the shuttles.
By train: There is no high-speed train in Granada, but of course the train station is connected with the rest of Spain. RENFE Official website where you can get information about trains, times, routes and timetables in Spain. We recommend that you review it before you travel.
By bus: Before traveling by bus in Spain, we recommend that you review the ALSA website and examine prices and routes.
GRANADA CITY TRANSPORTATION
We think walking is the most enjoyable way to get around the city.. A building you will encounter on the walking route, people you will meet by chance, and what you will find on a lost street will be full of surprises that you may not come across in any travel article.
Our recommendation to those who do not prefer to walk is collective use red and white minibuses as a means of transport. Especially the buses with “Alhambra Bus” next to them are the most ideal ones to explore the city.
One-ticket for Granada public buses is around 1.5 euros, but by buying a collective ticket, you can make your travel more affordable. you can bring. You can click here to view the public bus network.
ACCOMMODATION IN GRANADA: WHERE TO STAY IN GRANADA?
Granada is a touristic Andalusian city, so you can find a lot of options in terms of accommodation.. We were in a hostel on Gran Via Street.. It was a hostel that satisfied us in price-value accounting and we were very satisfied. You can also compare accommodation on booking.com.
THINGS TO DO IN GRANADA
Alhambra (Alhambra): We are sure that one of the most important reasons to go to Granada is to visit the Alhambra Palace.
Flamenco: You should watch Flamenco, which is one of the most enjoyable activities to be done in the Andalusia region, actually in the whole of Spain, here.
Sacromonte: You can visit the Gypsy caves in Sacromonte and see the towers of the Alhambra palace. You should watch the white slopes of Albaycin, the Valparaiso valley and the Darro river.. Here, we recommend watching the Zambra show, where the singer also dances, accompanied by a little more oriental rhythm.
La Chumbera: (Estudio de los Gitanos): Sacromonte’ It is also a large auditorium where concert events are held.
Sierra Nevada: Located a short distance from Granada, it is an ideal place for hiking, hiking tours as well as for skiing in winter. mountain.
WHAT TO EAT IN GRANADA? WHAT TO DRINK?
Granada has a gastronomy that is a mixture of Arabian and Andalusian. Local dishes include beans with bacon, San Anton, Sacromonte omelette, Andalusian gazpacho, or tomato soup, with garlic and grilled sardines, as in Malaga.
Of course, you can find it everywhere. and we don’t even need to mention the free tapas with a drink.
It’s a known fact that Spaniards are friendly and sympathetic people.. The people on the south coast are of course even warmer, as in every country shshs. Although there are English menus, you can easily ask the waiters anything you do not understand, they will definitely help.. We have tried Pincho de Tortilla and we love it and recommend it to you.
SHOPPING IN GRANADA
Don’t be surprised if a store you go to for shopping is closed between 13:00 and 17:00, because the concept of siesta in Spain is also valid in Granada, that is, many local shops other than big chain stores are open for a few hours in the afternoon. is closed. On Sundays, the city is almost in a state of sleep and almost everywhere is closed.
The Puerta Real district is an ideal place for shopping. Calle Mesones is a street with interesting clothes and souvenir shops.. Alcaiceira, which was once the center of silk trade, is an authentic place where you can find souvenirs.
El Corte Inglés is a large chain store available throughout Spain, you can get any product you want from here.
GRANADA CITY TOUR
Places to visit in Granada can be completed as two separate regions. The city is very well positioned in this sense.. We completed the city in two days.. But this requires a good sightseeing route.. Here are the sightseeing routes and must-see places to complete Granada in two days.
1. DAY TRIP TO GRANADA: City Center and Alhambra Palace (La Alhambra)
On the first day of your trip to Granada, we invite you to visit the city center and visit the Alhambra palace. we recommend. If you wish, you can start your tour first from the Alhambra, explore the palace intimidatingly without time constraint, then go down to the city and visit the places we recommend you to see on your route.
Granada city tour On the roadmap, we will see the symbols of the city.
The main places you will see on the Granada route; Capilla Real de Granada (Granada Royal Chapel), Iglesia del Saguaro (Saguaro Church), Granada Cathedral, Arzobispado de Granada, Palacio de la Madraza (Madrasa Palace). The squares you will see on the long walking route we have drawn; Plaza de Bib-Rambla, Corral del Carbon, Plaza Isabel la Catolica and Plaza Nueva. Continuing on Carrera del Darro, the oldest street in Albaicín, you will pass the Real Chancillería de Granada, Museo San Juan de Dios, Iglesia de San Gil Y Santa Ana and the Alhambra.
Capilla Real de Granada: This royal chapel is home to Catholic monarchs such as Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand II and their daughters Queen Juana I of Castile, his wife Felipe I, their eldest grandchild Miguel da Paz, Prince of Asturias
Cathedral (Santa Iglesia Catedral Metropolitana de la Encarnación de Granada): After the capture of Granada, by Queen Isabella, here It is a cathedral built on the site of a mosque.. This cathedral is a masterpiece reflecting the Spanish Renaissance style with its magnificent exteriors, impressive altar and chapels.
Palacio de La Madraza: This place is located near the old mosque and the Alcaiceria. It is an ancient Arab school for religious education.. Today, only its original altar has survived.
Plaza Bib Rambla: Also Plaza de las Flores This square, known as Flower Square (i.e. Flower Square), is the heart of the city.. There is a baroque fountain in the middle of it.
Corral del Carbon: This work, which has survived from the Arabs, is 14. It is the oldest building built in the twentieth century.. It has a large arch at the entrance, and a courtyard surrounded by a crafts room and galleries.
Plaza Isabel la Catolica: In the middle of the square, there is a courtyard dedicated to Queen Isabella and Columbus.
Real Chancillería de Granada (Royal Chancery): This royal archive contains information about holy certificates, wills of famous families, priests, church and history It is an archive of his Spanish ancestry.. Today it is used as a high court center.
Museo San Juan de Dios: This museum, which has 12 rooms, 3 galleries, a courtyard and a very beautiful chapel, is about the history of Andalusia. It is a source of valuable information.. There are many paintings, metalware and porcelain in the museum.
Iglesia de San Gil Y Santa Ana (St.. Anne’s Church): It is a small church located at the head of Carrera del Darro and built on the Almanzra Mosque built in 1501.
Alhambra (La Alhambra): Alhambra The palace built on the hill was named after I.. He takes it from the red beard of Muhammad, which is why it was called El Hamar.
The largest part of the palace, which consists of four parts, is the Nazari Palace. Apart from that, the summer palace and garden called Generalife, which means Heaven-ul Arif, and Al Kazaba, where almost two thousand people live, and 5. 5 that Carlos had built in the garden of the palace to show the Christian conquest.. Carlos Palace.
2. DAY TRIP TO GRANADA: Albaicín and Sacromonte
In this route, we recommend you to walk around the important places to see in Albaicín and Sacromonte.
The Albaicín (Albayzín): An ancient Arabian region of Granada. Located right across the Alhambra Palace, this section has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage List since 1994. On the right side of the Albayzín, there is a wide hill adjacent to Sacromonte.
Sacromonte: It is a must-see area next to Albaicín.. Caves and underground houses where the gypsies lived for many years can be seen in this mountainous region, whose soft walls are ideal for excavations here, as in Cappadocia. we start from. From here, you can take the minibus to go to Sacromonte and Albaicín, but we recommend that you walk. After a short tour through the narrow streets of Albaicín, after passing the San Jose Church (Iglesia de San Jose) and seeing The Church of San Nicolas, located a little ahead, Plaza Larga, the most lively square of Albaicín, that is Long Square we will reach. You can take a short break here after coming to the Plaza Aliatar square by continuing on Calle Panaderos street.. Bar Aliatar with its original name “Los Caracoles” or Snail Bar, as the name suggests, is a place specializing in snails, you can taste it.
From here on our route to Plaza del Salvador we continue right. The church here is 16. It was built on the Albaicín mosque in the 16th century.. It is famous for its unusual horseshoe arch, Arabian-style ceilings and old traditional water tank. Continuing from Cuesta de Chapiz, you will see places where gypsies dance zambra in flamenco caves. Continue on Placeta de Albaida and Cuesta de Chinos and you will reach the impressive walking path Mirador de la Vereda de Enmedio.. Here you will feel as if you are looking at the magnificent view of the Albaicín and the Alhambra from a balcony.. Continuing on the main street, the Camino del Sacromonte, where restaurants are lined up, we continue on the top of Valparaísorather mountain, where Abadia Del Sacromonte (The Sacromonte Abbey) is located.. On the way, you can visit the Museo Etnológico de la Mujer Gitana and the Centro de Interpretación del Sacromonte in Barranco de los Negrosa, the Sacromonte Cave museum, which is a kind of open Roman museum, giving you an idea about Sacromonte’s geography, nature, caves, music, food and art.. At the end of this impressive route, on the way back from Paseo de Los Tristes, Palacio de los Córdovas and El Bañuelo (Carrera del Darro street number: 32), Iglesia de San Pedro Y San Pablo are other important touristic places you will see.
ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE IN GRANADA
Our recommendation for nightlife in Granada is a nice restaurant or dinner at the tapas bar, accompanied by a glass of local brand wine or beer, and lots of Spanish music and Flamenco shows.
If you want to try a local wine in Granada, you have to order “un costa” to the waiter. You should try this drink, which is more like sherry than a table wine and can be found in different qualities.. Your other alternative is “tinto de verano”, a summer wine prepared with a mixture of red wine and soda.. Of course, “sangria”, a classic Spanish drink that is both delicious and refreshing, is another drink you can choose here.. Those who do not prefer wine can try the Cerveza Alhambra, a local beer that can be easily found all over Granada.
GRANADA COMING SOON OTHER PLACES TO VISIT: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
Cordoba and Seville should be your next or previous stop from this city. On the Andalusian route, there are beautiful cities you can see and small villages where you can have different experiences when you come to Granada.. Frankly, we definitely recommend renting a car in Spain and making a tour of Andalusia.. You can read the blog post we prepared for the Andalusia tour, which we have experienced before and will recommend to you, by clicking here.
If you have time in Granada, Basilica San Juan de Díos basilica and Monasterio de la Cartuja monastery are other places you can see.
TRAVEL NOTES TO GRANADA
- We recommend that you spend as much time wandering the narrow streets of the city as you can, enter the local shops and meet and chat with the locals as much as possible.
- Buying your entrance ticket for the Alhambra Palace in advance will save you time because You may have to wait in long lines at the entrance of the palace.
- Popular zambra venues in Sacromonte are in the Zambra Cueva del Rocío (Camino del Sacromonte 70) and María la Canastera areas. We definitely recommend you to watch Zambra, which is a kind of flamenco dance.
RESOURCES
- Love Granada
- andalusia.com
