We took the high-speed train from Madrid and arrived in Granada in the afternoon. It took around 3 hours. It is recommended to book train tickets as far in advance as possible to get cheaper tickets. Our hotel was conveniently located near the station. After checking into the hotel and quick rest, we walked to the Albaicin and Sacromonte area in Granada.
Albaicin is the old Arab Quarter, as it is like a different world within Granada due to strong Muslim influence. It’s located on a hill facing the Alhambra and there are dramatic views of this area from the palace’s famous gardens.
The streets were very narrow and small.
Views of Alhambra on our way to the viewpoint.
The Sacromonte, a gypsy neighborhood, famous for its cave houses, this neighborhood has its personality, it offers us spectacular views of the plain and the Alhambra, and transports us to another era. At the top of the hill, there was a cave house which you can visit.
Mirador de San Cristobal is quite high up on the hill. We took a leisurely walk with stops to catch our breath. You can also take the bus or taxi to get up there. It is worth visiting for views of Alhambra. A much better view than Mirador de San Nicolas and lesser traffic.
Albaicin white houses and narrow cobbled streets.
There was a restaurant near the viewpoint.
San Nicolas’s viewpoint is a very famous viewpoint for Sunset pictures.
It was very crowded and actually looked like this and very difficult to find a place to take pictures. Some people were taking turns taking pictures and some were just sitting there. We sat down on the other side to enjoy the views and the sunset.
Albaicin area. This picture was taken from the fort the next day.
We walked to Plaza Neuva. It was very lively at this time of the day. There was a couple doing flamenco dance.
Another person was on the pole doing tricks. A lot of people were sitting there and enjoying it.
We went to the restaurant Los Diamantes near Plaza Neuva. We don’t eat meat so ordered some drinks and vegetables.
Mushroom with garlic
Marinated tomatoes. We ate some before taking the pictures.
After a long day, we went to our hotel. Beautiful park and fountain on our way back to the hotel.
There were a couple of free walking tours of the Albaicin and Sacramento areas. We booked the tour with www.guruwalk.com. It helps to get the introduction to the city and learn a lot more things which we can’t figure out ourselves. We booked the advanced ticket to Alhambra for tomorrow.