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Six great reasons to visit Granada (besides the Alhambra)

Most visitors are initially drawn to this wonderful city with the promise of a tour around the Alhambra, the hilltop complex of gardens, palaces and fortifications. But there's so much more to see and do in Granada.

Published: 21 February 2018 12:18 CET
Updated: 12 November 2021 08:45 CET
Granada's La Alhambra palace and fortress complex is spectacular, but there's lots more to enjoy in this historic Andalusian city. Photo: Dimitry B/Unsplash
Granada's La Alhambra palace and fortress complex is spectacular, but there's lots more to enjoy in this historic Andalusian city. Photo: Dimitry B/Unsplash

But don’t let that be your only stop in a city that offers so many more delights.

With its backdrop of the snow topped mountains of the Sierra Nevada, its worth spending a few days discovering the Andalusian city that was the last bastion of the Islamic caliphate in Spain, finally being conquered in 1492.

Here Devour Tours gives The Local its top tips for a visit to the Granada.

Enjoy a sunset at the Mirador de San Nicolás

The view from the Mirador de San Nicolas is one of the most beautiful and memorable in all of Andalusia. Photo: Devour Tours

Visiting the Mirador de San Nicolás is a must on any list of things to do in Granada. Popular with students from the University of Granada and tourists alike, this lookout is often crowded, but well worth the visit. If you’re lucky you may stumble an impromptu flamenco performance in the square from local gypsies – the perfect soundtrack as you take in the exceptional views of Granada’s most treasured monument. If you don’t mind the crowds, this spot also provides one of the best sunsets in all of Spain. 

Shop till you drop on the Alcaiceria

Don’t be intimidated by the hustle and bustle of the Alcaicería, there are beautiful gems to be discovered there! Photo: Devour Tours

The Alcaicería is Granada’s Grand Bazaar and with such vibrant colors lining the street, it’s like being transported to northern Africa! In the 15th century, a series of streets full of shops made up the original Alcaicería.

It burned down in the 19th century and, since being rebuilt, only one section of the original remains. Many of the shops sell souvenirs. If you’re interested in Granada’s regional fajalauza ceramics, this is one place to look.

While you’re in the area, make sure to visit the nearby Plaza Bib-Rambla. It’s a great place to sit down and have a drink or a bite to eat as you watch the world go by.

Explore the Albayzín neighbourhood

The narrow streets of the iconic Albayzín neighborhood in Granada always lead to special corners of beauty. Photo: Devour Tours

Narrow, maze-like streets from the days before cars make up this neighborhood, one of the must-see parts of Granada. 

Plan in some time to explore the area before or after your visit to the famous lookout. Ditch your map and soak up the ambiance as you wander the streets.

The Albayzín is home to the Mirador de San Nicolás., built on a hill in front of the Alhambra, so you will be treated to peeks of the monument around every corner. Sit down in one of the charming plazas to enjoy a drink, or just roam and see where you end up!

See flamenco in a cave in Sacromonte


Seeing the passion and power of an authentic flamenco show in a cave in Sacromonte is not something you’ll soon forget. Photo: Devour Tours

Sacromonte is one of the most fascinating areas in Granada, with a rich folklore and powerful gypsy connection.

This special quarter features “cave houses” built directly into the hills, and it’s here where you can see some of the most spectacular flamenco in Granada.

READ ALSO: Malafollá – Why are people from the Spanish city of Granada so moody?

Head up earlier in the evening to catch amazing views of the Alhambra at sunset before heading to the show.

However, what was once a hidden gem is now one of the most popular places to see flamenco in Granada, so unfortunately, some of the caves have gotten a reputation as being quite touristy. Head to Zambra María la Canastera (Camino del Sacromonte, 89) to experience the real thing.

Visit the often forgotten about Cathedral

Whether you are an architecture buff or not, Granada’s Cathedral is not to be missed – simply stunning. Photo: Devour Tours

When it comes to architectural marvels in Granada, people of course immediately think of the Alhambra Palace. However, did you know that the city is also home to a Renaissance masterpiece?

Many cathedrals throughout Spain were built in Gothic style, but given the prolonged presence of the Moors in Granada, until 1492, by the time the Cathedral in Granada was being built, the country had progressed to a more Renaissance style of architecture.

This unique building’s Royal Chapel is also home to the remains of Spain’s iconic Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Conquerors of the Moors in 1492, unifiers of the kingdoms of Spain and financial investors in the voyages of Christopher Columbus, with such an impressive legacy are you going to miss the chance to see their resting place?

Experience the famous, authentic tapas scene in the city


There are a number of touristy establishments in Granada, breeze past them and into authentic gems on one of our food tours. Photo: Devour Tours

Tapas are an integral part of Granada’s culture, and no visit to the city would be complete without an authentic tapeo through the city’s windy streets.

However, with so many tapas bars to choose from in, it can be a little overwhelming trying to choose which ones to eat in. And as visitors, sometimes it’s especially hard to know which places are the real deal.

Avoid the tourist traps and step into Granada’s most authentic bars and restaurants when you join us on a foodie adventure with Devour Granada Food Tours. You’ll eat your way around Granada like a local and create unforgettable (and delicious!) memories of Spain’s most famous tapas scene!

READ MORE: Top ten ultimate pintxos to devour in San Sebastián

Devour Tours was founded by Spanish food lovers as a way to connect hungry travellers with the local, family run businesses that make amazing food. Offering award-winning fun and delicious food tours and tapas tours in Malaga, Seville, Barcelona and Madrid. Follow them on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter for Spanish food news, tips and recipes.

 
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BARCELONA

Can Barcelona really ban all Airbnbs?

Barcelona’s mayor recently announced plans to get rid of all tourist flats in the next four years as a means of controlling rent hikes. It’s the most drastic measure so far in Spanish cities’ battle against Airbnb - but will it actually happen?

Published: 4 July 2024 15:48 CEST
Can Barcelona really ban all Airbnbs?

In late June, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni made national headlines when he announced plans to revoke the licence of more than 10,000 tourist apartments in the Catalan capital. 

It would “be like building 10,000 new homes,” Collboni argued, alluding to Spain’s need to build huge amounts of social housing to counteract the shortage and price rise of regular long-term rentals for locals. 

Tourism’s impact on Barcelona and the subsequent animosity from residents has been around for over a decade, whereas in other places where anti-mass tourism protests have been held, such as Málaga and Canary Islands, it’s a more recent phenomenon. 

READ ALSO: ‘It kills the city’ – Barcelona’s youth protest against mass tourism

So it’s perhaps no surprise that the Catalan city is the first place in the country to truly aim at cutting out tourist apartments altogether. 

Spain’s Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez has lauded Collboni’s “bravery” in the fight against the proliferation of tourism lets (up by 60,000 new Airbnb-style beds in just a year in Spain). 

However, there are plenty of voices which oppose the move to make Barcelona holiday let free.

“It’s unconstitutional,” Marian Muro, president of Barcelona Association of Tourist Apartments, told business daily Expansión.

“What Barcelona City Council is doing is expropriating the rights of the holders of tourist licences,” she claimed. 

Apartur is planning legal action against the measure on three levels: through the Constitutional Court, the administrative court and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

According to Muro, Collboni knows that the legislation he’s promised will be “revoked”, and criticises that “no analysis or study has been provided” to justify the move. 

Her association has also told the Spanish press that Barcelona stands to lose “up to 40 percent of its tourists” with said blanket ban.

Collboni’s right-hand man Jordi Valls, in charge of economy and tourism at the city council, has openly admitted that “it’s clear that there will be a legal battle”, adding that “sectors linked to tourist flats appeal to compromise but also threaten legal battles”.

“Amsterdam and New York are doing it, all cities impacted by tourism are trying to get residential harmony to exist again,” Valls told national radio RNE. 

The key for him is to strike a balance between housing being a “financial asset” and serving a “social function”.

“We can’t give up on controlling it,” Valls concluded.

Crucially, the Barcelona councillor has said that since the tourist apartment ban was announced on June 21st, the sale of flats with tourist rental licences has fallen, something also reported in Catalan daily El Periódico, which stated that such sought-after properties were selling for €100,000 above the standard appraisal. 

For economics professor at Barcelona University Gonzalo Bernardos, tourist flats don’t represent enough of Spain’s housing market for a ban to have a sufficient impact.

“Eighty percent of tourist flats in Catalonia are owned by people with just that flat”, Bernardos claimed on La Sexta, so the ban would not have a great impact on “large investment funds or people who want to speculate” with property prices.

READ ALSO: VUT, AT or VV? Why Spain’s holiday let categories matter to owners

Barcelona’s progressive revocation of tourist let licences until 2028 may be endorsed by local and national authorities currently, but it will be a struggle for them to win the many legal battles they are set to face in the coming years from groups with financial interests in the Airbnb market.

Last year, the European Parliament approved new data-sharing rules that clamp down on illegal short-term rentals, as a means of protecting residents of European cities who face shortages of affordable housing.

However, EU lawmakers have not yet considered a blanket ban on Airbnb. 

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights does state that “The use of property may be regulated by law in so far as is necessary for the general interest”, but completely eliminating the right of Spaniards and Europeans to let out their homes to tourists will be a monumental task. 

READ ALSO: Good tourists, bad tourist – How to travel responsibly in Spain

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