Granada, Spain Part III – Churches, Mountains And Everything Else

January 23, 2022 by libertatemamo 9 Comments

Finally we come to the last of my posts on our winter trip to Granada, Spain!

One could easily call this the EBTA (Everything But The Alhambra) post, and for those of who’ve been to this city you’ll not be surprised that’s more than enough to cover. From the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains to the alleys of the old Moorish district, cave dwellings and the many Christian monuments, Granada really is a spectacularly varied and interesting city.

In the few weeks we spent there I’m almost ashamed to say we didn’t see it all, but in many respects that’s just a testament to how much there really is to see and do here. So with that in mind let me launch in to my final round-up and best tips for everything else.

At the end of all, I hope you’ll be able to say that you enjoyed the tour.

Granada Has Multiple Neighborhoods

Granada is a large city, at least much larger than I had in my minds eye before we came here.

Nestled in the mountains at 738 m, it’s the 13th largest city in Spain covering ~88 km² (about one and half times the size of Manhattan, for reference) and it contains no less than 8 districts with 33 neighborhoods (!). Each of these has its own interesting history and vibe of course, but for tourist purposes most folks tend to focus on a few key ones in the very center of town, particularly the Alhambra, Albaicín, Sacromonte, Centro and Realejo.

These 5 districts present a perfect reflection of Granada’s mixed Muslim, Jewish and Christian past, and each one is well worth the trouble to see. I’ve covered the star of the stars (the Alhambra) already, so this blog post will focus on literally all the rest, starting with some of the most important Christian monuments in the city.

The Cathedral, And Royal Chapel In Centro

Outside of the Alhambra, the single biggest monument in Granada is undoubtedly the Grand Cathedral in the center of town.

This is no accident, of course. When the Christians took over Spain after almost 800 years of Muslim rule (711 – 1492), much of its landscape and architecture progressively changed. The Cathedral of Granada was built upon the site of a former Mosque and its size was meant to inspire and awe.

Its construction, as all great churches go, took time and went in multiple stages. First came a chapel built to house Catholic Monarchs (now known as the Royal Chapel), then came the main building, started in 1523 and originally of Gothic design. Five years later the builder changed to Diego de Siloé who, in a daring move for the time, switched it to Renaissance style. He plugged on for another ~40 years. Then came more architects, more additions, finishing with a Baroque façade no less than 181 years after the first stone was laid. It was a project!

It’s Spain’s 2nd largest cathedral, and it is HUGE, but it’s tucked right in the center of town (Centro) surrounded by buildings so it’s almost impossible to grasp its size unless you get inside, or see it from far away. Either way, it’s not to be missed.

The Cathedral of Granada: https://catedraldegranada.com/
The Royal Chapel: https://capillarealgranada.com/en/

The Other 5 Highlights of Christianity

If you want to explore the Christian influences in Granada in more depth, the Cathedral is really just the tip of the iceberg.

A quick Google shows at least 50 churches, abbeys and monasteries in and around town, and you’d have to be pretty motivated to see them all. For those that want to pare it down a smidgen there are 5 main ones (outside the Cathedral & Royal Chapel) that round up a good collection, and these are the Monastery of San Jeronimo, the Church of San Nicolas, the Monastery of La Cartuja, and the Sacromonte Abbey (see below).

Admittedly we didn’t manage them all, but there is one particular gem that I think is rather spectacular, so much so that it’s often called the “Christian Alhambra”. I don’t think it quite reaches that peak, but it certainly has the most elaborate over-the-top interior of any Monastery I’ve ever seen.

I’m talking about La Cartuja, built by the Carthusian order in the 16th Century.  The order was most strict and austere, but that attitude did not apply within God’s walls and oh my did they let loose. The stars of the visit here are the Church, the Sacristry and the Sagrario, each of which is a masterpiece in its own right packed with riches, marble, gold, sculptures and paintings. The monastery is a short drive north of the downtown area, but it’s definitely worth the extra trek.

It was the very first place we saw after we arrived in Granada and it left a lasting impression on us all.

The Christian Highlights: https://ticketsgranadacristiana.com/en

Historic Albaicín (And The Best Views In Town)

The Albaicín (formerly Albayzín) is one of the oldest and most scenic areas of Granada.

Located on a hill that rises steeply just north of the river Darro, the area been inhabited since ancient times. Most of what you see today however was built from the 11th century onwards, through the first and second Moorish dynasties (the Zirids and the Nasrids), during which time it became a center for nobles, artists and trade workers from all of Muslim Spain.

During this period water was brought in through an advanced system of cisterns and pipes, communal baths (hammams) were built, and opulent villas (cármenes) erected by the most elite. At the height of its glory (just prior to Christian takeover in 1492) the area had over 40,000 inhabitants and 30 mosques.

Amazingly, much of this still survives today and it’s important enough that it’s been recognized as a World Heritage Site in its own right. Taking a walk through the old maze of cobblestone alleys and seemingly impossible narrow streets is a wonderful dive into Granada’s rich Moorish history.

We decided to take a taxi to the top of the hill at the famous Mirador de San Nicolas viewpoint (the best, full view of the Alhambra in town, as well as a very popular sunset photo spot), stroll downhill through the winding streets to the River Darro and then follow that into Centro. It was a lovely walk with lots of stops to see, including Paseo de Los Tristes (great spot to eat with a view), El Bañuelo (a historic hammam), as well a slew of old buildings, churches and convents.

Truly a wonderful area to explore and IMO an absolute “must do” for anyone who comes to Granada.

Walks through Albaicín: This site (https://granadainfo.com/dogranada/walks.htm)  gives you 3 good loops to explore.

Take It Easy: The roads are steep and narrow in Albaicín, so if you’ve got any kind of mobility issues or just want to take it easy then take a taxi up to the top and then walk down (as we did). Of course if want a thigh burn, go the other way :))

The Roma Caves, And Abbey Of Sacromonte

A fascinating area to the east of Albaicín is Sacromonte, famous for its caves and gitane (gypsy or roma) history.

The first Roma called Granada home in the 15th century and 50,000 still live here today. Most of them live in the Sacromonte area where the houses are built into the cliff walls. And they’ve developed a local form of Flamenco (known as Zambra). There’s not a ton of tourist stuff in this area, but there is a nice Cave museum (bit of a walk to get to) and lots of Flamenco and guitar concerts. It’s a unique area to explore.

Next door is another incredible sight, Sacromonte Abbey, and you can drive to it if you have a car.

Founded in 1610 this enormous construction never really homed a community of monks, but was rather a center for spiritual, intellectual and educational Christian life. And it has several completely unique features.

The Seal of Solomon (the precursor to the Star of David) is the Abbey’s emblem and is interwoven throughout the structure. It has an incredible collection of tapestries and books (several written in Arabic), and at its core are the Holy Caves….a superb underground maze of chapels and vaults. Dad and I spent a wonderful morning exploring it with very few others around.

Even if you aren’t into monasteries, IMO seeing the caves is worth the EUR 5 to visit.

Information about the Roma Cave Museum: https://www.lovegranada.com/museums/sacromonte/
Link to Sacromonte Abbey: Sacromonte Abbey

Hiking In The Mountains 

Before we arrived in Granada I already knew the mountains were going to capture my heart.

The Sierra Nevadas or “‘Snowy Mountains” are part of Spain’s largest and highest continental mountain range (the Betic Range). Stretching 42 km east-to-west along the southern edge of the country, it boasts 20 peaks over 3,000 meters in height, culminating with Mulhacén at 3,479 m (11,414 ft).

It’s a superbly popular ski destination thanks to its southerly location (= lots of sunshine) and  surprisingly long ski season (Nov to May). In addition, a big portion of it is preserved in the fantastic Sierra Nevada National Park which is not only Spain’s largest national park, but is also a Biosphere Reserve because of its unique mix of geology and Mediterranean weather (over 60 species of plant are entirely unique to this area).

The latter is just a stones throw from Granada, and you only have to drive ~10-15 mins from downtown to hit infinite miles of trails.

One of the finest hiking routes is undoubtedly Ruta de Los Cahorros in the next-door town of Monachil. It’s a well-marked trail famous for its canyons and hanging bridges (the longest of which is 63m!) with parking right next door (we even saw some motorhomes parked here, although it’s a bit of a squeeze to get in). We walked a small part of it, but alas didn’t manage the whole thing due to too much mud that day.

Other routes go all over the mountains and provide no end of possibilities. Roads do get narrow and sometimes even turn to dirt as you get higher up (so don’t go in blind with a motorhome!), but with a car we found that we could drive up behind town to just about any old place, park and enjoy instant relaxing walks and spectacular views. I loved this about Granada.

Hiking ideas around Granada: https://andaluciahiking.com/hikes-in-granada-spain/

And So Much More

There is so much we missed in Granada despite spending two weeks there.

We didn’t visit the old Jewish area of Realejo, nor see any Flamenco or even {{weep}} munch on tapas in any bars (fun fact, Granada is one of the only places in Spain where food is always offered if you order a drink). Plus there are also tea houses, hammams (Arab baths) and a slew of monuments we didn’t experience. But such is the nature of travel, and the sign of an exceptional place is that it leaves you with something to come back for.

Perhaps one day, hopefully a day where COVID is but a distant history, we’ll stroll these streets and reminisce about how lucky we are to be able to be here again. In the meantime, Granada must live here and in my memories where she will surely linger a while.

Good sites on everything to see and do in Granada: https://www.lovegranada.com/, https://www.espanaguide.com/granada/ and https://granadainfo.com/english.htm