Route: Granada
Area: Spain, Andalusia
Date of walk: 19th March 2019
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.0 miles
Ascent: 700 feet
Weather: Sun and blue skies, very warm
Earlier this week we’d visited the ancient Moorish cities of Seville and Cordoba. Today it was time to travel to the third and last on our agenda – Granada
We took a train and bus from Cordoba and checked into the Hotel Casa Morisca which is superbly situated in the heart of the old part of Granada
We had sufficient time for a short afternoon walk, so we set off to explore the Albaicín and Sacromonte areas recommended to us by our travel company Inntravel. The first part of our route took us uphill to join a cobbled lane in the Sacromonte quarter, famous for its gypsy population and flamenco artists. Along the way there were occasional views across to the Alhambra, the best of which was from the Mirador of San Nicolás – a famous vantage point from which countless photos have been taken. I can now include some of mine among them, no points for originality but it’s impossible to resist taking a snap from here
We gradually worked our way through the Albaicín quarter, which retains the narrow winding streets of its medieval Moorish past. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984, along with the Alhambra. The route took us downhill along more old cobbled streets lined with interesting small shops. This brought us to the Plaza Nueva, and from here it was a short stroll back to our hotel to end a great little walk
The number one attraction of Granada is the world famous Alhambra Palace and Fortress. There’s so much to see here that it merits a page of its own – see tomorrow’s walk
As with the other city walks on this trip, I’ve not shown our route on the Maps Page as there are infinite possible variations, along with diversions to nearby places of interest. The map does however contain markers with photos showing where they were taken
Click on the icon below for the route map
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Following our train journey from Cordoba, we check into the Hotel Casa Morisca
View of the Alhambra from our bedroom window...
...and from Camino del Sacromonte at the start of this afternoon's short walk
We follow the quiet road uphill through the Sacromonte area
View back along the valley
The Camino del Sacromonte
The Alhambra seen from the cobbled street of Calle Verea de Enmedio
Looking back
We pass by a small green fountain known as the Poppy Fountain
Further along Calle Verea de Enmedio
Looking across Granada
The Generalife Gardens of the Alhambra towards the right of the picture, and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada beyond
The Alhambra from Mirador de la Cruz de Rauda
Refreshments at a small bar in Plaza Aliatar...
...with musical accompaniment
We descend to the Mirador San Nicolas, considered to be one of the best vantage points for views of the Alhambra...
The Generalife Gardens, part of the Alhambra complex
Panorama - click to enlarge
Wonderful views, which whet our appetites for tomorrow's visit
We descend through the Albaicin area
We're not the only ones snapping away at views of the Alhambra
We take a right turn here and ascend these steps at Placeta de Porras
We follow the stepped street of Cuesta de San Gregorio
Plaza San Gregorio
This area is known as Little Morocco, and we pass by some interesting small shops along Calle Caldereria Nueva...
Plaza Nueva...
Looking up to the Alhambra...
A final view from our hotel room as the sun begins to set - we're full of anticipation for tomorrow's visit
