Granada was the Capital of Moorish Spain and is best known for one of the most beautiful monumental complexes n Europe, the Moorish Palace, La Alhambra and the adjacent Generalife Gardens. It is advisable to buy tickets in advance online:
http://www.alhambradegranada.org/guias/alhambraentradas_en.asp
If you are in Granada you can buy the day before from the BBV bank or make an early start and join the queue to buy one of the 30% of tickets that go on sale on the day. The red Alhambra bus will take you up the hill to the ticket office, you can catch it on Gran Via by the Cathedral.
Granada is also the place where Cristopher Columbus set out for America, a statue depicting him with the Catholic Monarchs is situated at the end of Gran Via by Plaza Nueva. The tombs of the Monarchs themselves can be found nearby in the Cathedral, a mixture of Renaissance and Baroque styles and a lovely place to escape from the heat of the day.
Granada's most famous personality is the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. You can visit his home, now a museum and public park: http://www.huertadesanvicente.com. If you keep walking down Recogidas you will find it but check opening times first.
The writer Ian Gibson has won many awards for his books on Lorca, including his investigation of Lorca's Death and one of my favourites a Guide To Lorca's Granada, which features walks around Granada taking in places of interest in Lorca's life and work. I've also included here my favourite Lorca plays, poems and music.
The Albaicín is a must see, declared a site of cultural importance by Unesco, it is a warren of cobbled streets and old Moorish houses and Monasteries. Starting out from Plaza Nueva follow the River Daurro down the picturesque narrow road lined with Rennaissance and Baroque buildings and the 11th century Moorish baths. You can even buy cakes from the convent further down opposite the Church of San José. This road ends at the Paseo de los Tristes where it opens out into a lovely square with open-air bars at the very foot of the Alhambra palace. If you go right, cross the last bridge and up Cuesta Los Chinos you will end up at the Alhambra. Turn left up Cuesta Chapiz to get to the heart of the Albaicin or to take a stroll up the Camino de Sacromonte to see the Gypsy caves.
The red Alhambra bus leaves from Plaza Nueva, you can also catch it on Paseo de los Tristes if you don't fancy the steep walk. This will take you up to the Mirador San Nicholas where there is a panoramic view of the Alhambra set against a back-drop of the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains. After that the best way to enjoy the Albaicín is to stroll around discovering the hidden bars and plazas, every corner you turn offers tantalising glimpses of the Alhambra and fantastic photo opportunities.
My favourite Albaicín bars include :
La Higuera, hidden round the back of Plaza Fatima, it has a wonderful shaded inner patio and great food.
La Parrona, Plaza Larga, where you can sit on the Plaza itself and enjoy watching the locals shop. Don't forget to have a look at their great photo collection inside the bar, including many flamenco stars and Bill Clinton with the locals.
La Torcuato, Calle del Agua, this is where you find the locals, great atmosphere, great tapas.
El Yunque, San Miguel Bajo, this is my regular eating place and nothing beats sitting enjoying a long lunch in the sunshine. Fantastic food. Try the grilled fish platter. Vegetarians should try fried aubergine, papas a la pobre and the fried green peppers if they are getting fed up of tortilla.
The red Alhambra bus also stops in San Miguel Bajo and carries on back to Gran Via past the Cathedral and to its starting place in Plaza Nueva.
Plaza Nueva has many bars where you can sit out and watch the world go by, a common pastime here in Granada but it is also where you will find the Tourist office right next door to the Church of Santa Ana. Pass by and pick up a free map. Hidden away behind the church are the Arab baths.
http://www.hammamspain.com/granada/index_en.html
There are simply too many bars to list around the Plaza Nueva area so again I will mention my favourites :
Castañedas, Almireceros, 1, just a short walk down calle Elvira on the left, is a wonderful old bodega, good wines, and cheese and meat platters, can be busy, noisy and only a few tables for those ordering food. Stand at the bar and you get a free tapa with every drink.
Nueva Bodega, Cetti Meriem, 9, also left off the calle Elvira this bar has a restaurant where you can sit, the food is typically Spanish and good value. Free tapas at the bar can often mean you can skip a main meal.
On the right of Calle Elvira is a street called the Calderia Viejo and Caldería Nuevo often referred to by locals as 'La Tetería' due to the large number of Moroccan Tea houses there. It is worth a wander up them to see the moroccan shops, buy roccan sweets, take tea and generally feel like you are in Morocco itself. Shwarma take aways offer good value with a kebab costing only €4 and the falaful option is great for vegetarians.
Another charming area to explore is the Realejo on the other side of the Alhambra hill. In the large square "Campo del Principe" you will find some really good value restaurants where you can sit outside. There are also swings and slides for the children to play on. Just walk up Calle Molinas from the Christopher Columbus statue and you get there, the square is to the left past the supermarket Coviran.
It's also worth exploring around the Cathedral, narrow streets with a wide selection of shops lead you out to the Plaza Bib Rambla, a square full of flower sellers and restaurants. The local market San Augustin is only a few blocks along and on the Plaza Pescadería you'll find three more restaurants which I recommend :
Cunini, Plaza Pescadería, 14 great seafood restaurant, a bit pricey but worth it, you often need to book in advance but you can always settle for tapas at the bar, try the oysters.
Olivers, Plaza Pescadería, 12, seafood restaurant, medium priced, booking not necessary, or try free tapas at the bar.
Cepillos, Plaza Pescadería, 18, great cheap restaurant, very good value and great food, try the Menu del Día.
From the Pescadería it's a short walk to Plaza Trinidad with its palm trees and tropical plants where you will find Calle los Mesones and the neighbouring streets with some of the best shoe and clothes shops. For example Zara has two shops on the main roads of Recogidas and Reyes Catolicas.
The Post Office is also located nearby where Recogidas meets Reyes Catolicas. No need to go there to buy stamps though, easier to avoid the queues and go to a Tabac, also the selling point for tobacco, most streets have one.
Further down is Plaza Real with the Teatro Isabel Catolica on your left. Next door to it is a Gallery which often has photo or art exhibitions. Right now they are showing very old and quite fascinating photographs of Granada. Keep walking and you reach the big department store El Cortes Inglés next to the Church of the Virgin de Las Angustias, the patron Saint of Granada who is celebrated by a procession on the last Sunday of September.
Holy Week has been officially declared a "Holiday of interest to the tourist". Timetables are available from the tourist office which show you the routes of the processions which are held daily. January 2nd is the Festival of the Reconquest of Granada by the Catholic monarchs.
May 3rd is the Festivals of Crosses, a very popular celebration. Crosses made of flowers are placed in the streets, while courtyards of the houses are also adorned.
Between May and June the Corpus Cristi Fair, the biggest festival in the city, is celebrated. Typical ndalusian dress is worn, horse-drawn carriages are used, and there is dancing at the stalls of the fair. Bullfights are also held.
The last Sunday in September is the Festival of the Virgen de las Angustias, patron saint of the city. Open-air dances, bullfights and processions are held.
The Bullring in Granada was opened in 1928 and is massive , holding 14,000 people. Bullfights are held in season (March to November) at the Plaza de Toros on Avenida del Doctor Olóriz 25. The bullring's ticket office (tel 958 271 950) or any of the tourist offices has details of upcoming corridas.
Obviously I have not covered everything in Granada but for anyone wanting more information I recommend http://granadainfo.com/english.htm as a good resource . You can also look at the other guides on this website for information on flamenco and music in general and recommended accommodation.
