Granada
I had completely planned and booked an Easter vacation trip to Andalusia in 2020 – needless to say it was cancelled and instead we remained in Barcelona under lockdown. In 2021 I contemplated re-booking it, but travel across Autonomous Community borders was still forbidden for Semana Santa. As our departure date loomed, I decided I couldn't leave Spain without visiting the Alhambra, summer heat be damned. So, I took a short 2-night jaunt to Granada, flying down (to use a voucher) and taking the high-speed train back.
Granada's airport is tiny. And unlike tourist machines like Barcelona, the transfer from the airport was easy and cheap: €3 in cash to ride the bus, no reservations needed. I stayed in a lovely small hotel – the Casa 1800 Granada, in a 16th century building in the city center. There were plenty of tourists but it wasn't swamped.
Granada is a city of courtyards, patios in Spanish: the patio in my hotel | A typical patio seen from the street | The delightful patio at the Hotel America Granada at the Alhambra, where I stopped for a coffee.
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Granada's cathedral is vast and ornate. My favorite part of it was a tiny courtyard off of a secondary entrance | The vaults had an almost fabric-like quality | The opulent gold-leafed cupola.
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I spent an entire day at the Alhambra and Generalife – normally one has to buy tickets months in advance, but I had my choice of times just one week ahead, when I planned this semi-impromptu trip. The complex is vast, situated on strategically high ground overlooking the city. Running water is everywhere at the Alhambra, beginning with the Cuesta de Gomérez, the tree-lined street leading uphill to the Alhambra from the city center.
This is the Patio de la Acequia (Courtyard of the Water Canal) at the Generalife (the summer palace), uphill from the Alhambra and surrounded by incredible gardens.
The main event is the Nasrid Palaces. The richness of detail is breathtaking. So is the contrast of sun-filled courtyards and shaded interiors.
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Views of the city from the Alhambra's strategic high position.
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Tile and plaster details in the Nasrid Palaces.
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A hazy summer view of the city from the Generalife gardens.
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Light and shadow in two hammams: the Baño de la Mezquita in the Ahambra, and the Bañuelo, in the Albaicin quarter.
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It was very hot during the day, with highs around 40° (105° F), but it cools off substantially more at night than it does in Barcelona during the summer. Also, Spain is on 'double summer time' (way west in the time zone + Daylight Savings Time), with late sunrise and sunset, so the mornings are very pleasant – the heat is at its worst from about 3-6pm, but still tolerable in the shade. You can almost feel the heat in this photo.
Tapas and wine at El Rinconcillo after an entire day at the Alhambra | Sunset from Placeta Puerta del Sol | Pomegranate (in Spanish, granada) bollards seen on the early morning walk to the train.
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Views from the train ride home.
