48 Hours in Granada, Granada, Spain

The Andalucía region in the South of Spain attracts many visitors every year to the likes of Sevilla, Málaga, Córdoba, and the white hill towns of Ronda and Arcos de la Frontera. If you’ve been considering Granada as a destination, but maybe it’s not “on the way” to your next place, I encourage you to commit to it and make it a priority to get there anyway! Find those 2 extra days in your itinerary or book your next free weekend for a journey into an entirely different version of Spain.

The last Moorish kingdom to fall in the Spanish Reconquista of 1492, the city still basks in its Arabic glory of the Alhambra. The natural beauty of Granada cannot be missed either, with the snowcapped Sierra Nevadas crowning the edges of the valley. In Granada, you will make friends, whether with the shopkeepers, tea brewers, bodega owners, or just the kind people on the street. Granada is best experienced on foot, as the city center doesn’t allow extra vehicles on the roads, and the crooked turns of the hills invite you to explore hidden paths at your own pace.

The Alhambra. You’ve come all the way to Granada, and it’s only fitting that you pay tribute to the reason Granada is on the tourist map in the first place. Make sure to grab a delicious pastry at a bakery before heading up the mountain on foot, by bus, or with a taxi. Tackling the Alhambra in the morning guarantees less crowds, less heat, and a much better overall sense of meditation that the Alhambra originally graced upon its visitors. The incredible detail in the tile mosaics, rock work, and designs will impact you with a much deeper reverence for the Moorish empire and their dedication to art, beauty, and peace. Best trick to visiting the Alhambra is to buy your tickets online in advance for a set date and time. Bring the same credit card with you to Granada, and you can withdraw your tickets at any La Caixa ATM. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).