Granada Travel Guide

Granada Fast Facts

Granada City Highlights

La Alhambra
Considered one of the word's modern wonders, the Alhambra is a spectacular Muslim fort-palace, a majestic reminder the city's rich Arab history. Intricately detailed ceilings and walls, beautiful fountains, unique sculptures and a vast garden make this Europe's most exotic destination and Spain's most visited.

The Cathedral and Around
The Catholic half of Granada's history is emobodied by its vast Renaissance-style cathedral. Buried in the adjacent Royal Chapel are Fernando and Isabel, the "Reyes Católicos" who famously financed Columbus's voyage to the new world. Surrounding streets are closed to traffic, so you can discover enchanting alleyways while listening to flamenco guitar players that dot the sidewalks.

El Albaicín
Spain's largest surviving Moorish barrio, the Albaicín's rambshackle medieval streets hold more character than entire cities. Its narrow, winding paths hold flamenco locales, outdoor cafes, a variety of restaurants and great hilltop views of the Alhambra.

Tapas & Nightlife
In a country packed with tapas bars, Granada reigns king. When you order any kind of beverage at bars, it will come accompanied by a free and generous tapa like cheese, ham, olives, fried eggplant, small toast with toppings and much more. As if free food couldn't be beat, the city has a surprisingly lively nightlife despite its moderate size. This is largely due to the active university scene, just another aspect that makes Granada a great place to study Spanish.

Visit Granada During...

NOVEMBER: Festival de Jazz de Granada
Granada hosts one of Europe's most established Jazz Festivals every autumn. Concerts last the whole month with a varied program of Spanish and international musicians.

APRIL: Easter Week
All throughout Andalusia, Spaniards pull out the stops for Semana Santa, also known as Easter Week or Holy Week. Despite the intense religiosity of celebrations - elaborate floats with images of the Virgin and Christ are paraded through town to represent the stages of the Passion - the event is by no means somber. Street parties and good spirits pervade the air. It's an enthralling time to study Spanish in Granada from a cultural perspective.

MAY: Las Cruces de Mayo
Every year during the first week of May, Granada celebrates the festival of Holy Crosses. Large crucifixes adorned with colorful flowers serve as the focal points for festivities around town, with traditional music and dancing in the streets. Granadinos also decorate thier balconies and patios with floral arrangements, creating a vibrant setting for crazy partying.

MAY-JUNE: Feria de Corpus Christi
Another Andalusian-wide event, the Corpus Christi festivities mean week-long bullfights and yet another excuse to party!

Getting to Granada

Airport
The Granada airport is located 17km (10.5 miles) from the city center. Iberia is the only carrier that currently flies here, so if you're coming from outside of Spain you'll have to connect through Madrid, Barcelona or another national airport.

Train Station
Granada's train station is about 1km (.6 miles) outside the center on Avenida de Andaluces. Local buses #11, 3, 4 and 6 will take you to and from the heart of the city. Direct trajectories run only to major Spanish cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla.

Bus Station
The new bus station, a bit further from the center but an easy ride into town on local bus #3, handles direct national and combined international services. Routes and prices vary by company, but bus is the cheapest way to travel throughout Spain from Granada.