Best Things to do in Granada, Spain

The main reason I wanted to visit Granada was to see the Alhambra. After spending time in Seville, I was also looking forward to seeing what this smaller city had to offer. After looping from Malaga to Seville via Ronda, Granada was the last stop of my southern Spain vacation.

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Granada is a southern Spain itinerary staple, and after a visit to this historic city, I can see why. Famous for its free tapas with drinks and massive Alhambra Palace, Granada is an easy pick for a visit. I wish I had more time but I only spent about 36 hours in Granada. It was enough time to see the top sights and enjoy some delicious food.

How to Get to Granada, Spain

Granada is a great stop on an itinerary between a couple days in Seville and four days in Madrid or Malaga.

By Car: I loved having a rental car in Spain. It made getting to interesting hikes much easier. I use DiscoverCars in Spain to get good rates. Granada is reasonable to reach by car from Seville (3hr), Malaga (1.5hr), or Cordoba (2hr). From Madrid (4.5 hours) or Barcelona (almost 9 hours) I would likely fly or take a train.

By Train: There are high-speed trains between Granada and Madrid and Seville that run daily. This is likely your best bet for covering long distances. You can check train schedules for Granada here.

By Plane: The most convenient airport is the Granada airport, however, the Malaga airport may also be a good choice because of having discount airline carriers.

Getting Around Granada

Granada is not very car-friendly. If you’re driving, I would just park and leave the car there until you move on to your next destination.

The best way to get around Granada is by bus. Tickets are 1.40 euros and you can pay on the bus. There are 4 buses known as tourist buses. Two leave from the Plaza Nuevo, C31 will take you to the Albayzin and C34 will take you to Sacromonte. From the Plaza Isabel la Catolica, bus C30 will take you to the Alhambra while bus C32 can take you to the Alhambra or the Albayzin. You can check more detailed routes here.

How Long to Spend in Granada

I budgeted 2 nights and 1 full day in Granada. It was enough time to do everything I have listed here for Granada including visiting the Alhambra. It would have been nice to have another day to explore more thoroughly in the city but if you just want to see the top sights, 1 full day is enough. If you want to add on visits to nearby beaches or the Sierra Nevada mountains, add on another full day. Granada is also within a reasonable distance of several fantastic day trip options.

Overall I would budget between 2-4 nights in Granada so you can have 1-3 full days in the city.

Where to Stay in Granada

Especially if, like me, you are only staying for 1 or 2 nights in Granada, I recommend paying a little bit extra to stay in a central location. While the Alhambra does look like it’s far away from everything, it is easy enough to catch a bus up the hill to it. I stayed in the Granada city centre and was very happy with how close I was to restaurants as well as being in walking distance to all the sites I wanted to see.

Hostal Verona– I stayed here for two nights in Granada and was very happy with it. It’s fairly basic accommodation but I loved the location and it was very budget-friendly. The room was a good size and it was quiet. Parking is available for a fee in the parking garage in the building.

Las Golondrinas de la Alhambra– Another option in the city centre is this apartment. I almost booked here for my stay before finding a cheaper alternative. It is close to the Alhambra as it is only a 15-minute walk so this would be a great place to stay if you are only staying in Granada for 1 night. The rooms here look nice and are decorated in a traditional style.

Top Things to Do in Granada

Visit the Alhambra

The Alhambra is by far the number one reason people visit Granada. This 13th-century palace and fortress sits on a rocky hill above Granada. As Granada became the last stronghold of the Moors in Western Europe after Seville and Cordoba becoming Catholic, Muslims flocked to the city. From the mid 13th century until 1492, Granada was ruled by the Nasrids and was one of Europe’s most wealthy cities. Because of this, the Alhambra was developed as a very lavish palace and fortress.

The highlight of the Alhambra is the phenomenal Nasrid Palace. The Nasrid Palace contains some of the best examples of Moorish architecture in Spain. Because of its popularity, the Alhambra is one place you want to buy tickets in advance. There is timed entry to the Nasrid Palace so you must be there on time. If you do decide to go without getting tickets in advance, you can wait in line and hope for the best.

How to Visit the Alhambra

Buy your tickets or tours in advance, tickets do sell out. This Alhambra tour is a good choice as it takes you to all the sights of the Alhambra and includes your ticket. Make sure you buy a ticket or tour that includes the Nasrid Palace as many do not include it. You can buy tickets for the Alhambra + Nasrid Palace here.

The gardens and buildings here take at least 4 to 5 hours to properly explore. The Alhambra is quite large so it can be a bit confusing to figure out the best time to visit the Alhambra and how to make the most of a visit.

Your ticket or tour will have a specific entry time to the Nasrid Palace and you must show up at this time or you will miss out. Everything else you can explore at any time. I made my reservation for the Nasrid Palace for early in the morning so I could visit it first and not have to worry about missing my reservation. After visiting the Nasrid Palace, I had plenty of time to explore the Alcazaba fortress and the Generalife buildings and gardens.

Explore the Streets Around the Alhambra

While the Alhambra is quite an uphill walk, when you leave the Alhambra, it is quite pleasant to walk down. There is wide pedestrian pathways and stairs all the way down that offer up really nice views of the city. It’s just part of the charm of Granada.

Granada Cathedral

The Granada Cathedral can be found in a maze of streets in the city centre. This 16th-century church was built right after Granada was acquired from its Nasrid Muslim rulers in 1492. This massive church is worth at least a look even if you skip going inside. Unlike some other large cathedrals in Europe, I did find that the setting was almost a little claustrophobic. It’s very closed in on the sides by streets and other buildings.

Explore the Albayzin

This area in Granada is known for its fantastic views of the Alhambra from Mirador de San Nicolás. This is also Granada’s old Muslim quarter. The streets here are perfect for wandering. There are twists and turns up narrow alleys with steep turns. It’s a really beautiful neighbourhood once you get off of the main street. I got lost more than once and only found my way by just heading in the general direction I wanted to go in.

If you’re looking to experience Moorish-style teahouses (teteria), the Albayzin is also the perfect place to find these. The street Calle Caldereria Nueva is the place to be if you are looking for a teteria, there are plenty here.

Mirador de San Nicolás

Mirador de San Nicolas offers up the perfect view of the Alhambra. If the weather is clear, you will also get views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you want the classic shot of the entire complex, this is where to get it. I visited at sunset and while I enjoyed the view, it was very packed with people. It’s a popular spot to be so it definitely is not a romantic sunset spot. When I visited it was actually packed with teenagers goofing around. While I felt like most of Granada was fairly safe, this is the one spot I would keep an extra close eye on my pockets and backpack as pickpockets do operate here.

Enjoy the Tapas

Even if you are almost tapa’d out (is that a thing?), you have to try the tapas in Granada. Granada is famous for serving up free tapas with every drink you order. That’s right, free food. I could really get behind this kind of culture. And they are proper, delicious, tapas. There’s something for everyone here. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies make sure to tell your server. I was a bit skeptical of some of the vegetarian options, fried eggplant with honey just sounds odd, but they are seriously delicious.

El Oju– Fantastic vegetarian restaurant in Granada. Everything here was fantastic and they serve good sized tapas. I ended up with too much food even. I had the tofu tacos, a vegan cake, and a tapas sandwich with wine here and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone, vegetarian or not.

Malvasia Taberna– This tapas bar is in good walking distance from the Alhambra and is in a very popular area for tapas bars. I was lucky to get a seat here. Everything here was delicious and it was a nice atmosphere. I had some really yummy artichokes and asparagus on toast and fried eggplant with honey here. If you are vegetarian make sure to tell them as there is a good chance tapas will have meat on them.

Walk Carrera del Darro

Carrera del Darro is a nice street to walk right along the riverside. It’s next to the Albayzin neighbourhood so you can easily combine it with a visit there. There are cute cobblestone bridges here and plenty of shops to explore. There are cafes as well as tapa restaurants as well. You can also get views of the Alhambra from here. Even though it is a cute walk, this road is narrow can get very crowded and you do have to share the road with vehicles.

Shop for Souvenirs in the Alcaiceria

The Alcaiceria market used to be a silk market but is now souvenir shops. There is plenty of things to browse here. You have everything from Moorish-style lamps, pottery, jewelry, scarves, fans. You can either stock up on gifts here or just take in the sights. I picked up a really cute hand-painted bowl here as well as some pomegranate earrings. One thing you will notice a lot of is pomegranates on everything. They are on Granada’s coat of arms and they represent the city because Granada is Spanish for pomegranate.

Things to Do Near Granada, Spain

Visit the Sierra Nevada Mountains

If you have more time in Granada than I did, consider venturing to the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains. I wish I had been able to visit as the whole area looks gorgeous. With only a 30 minute drive, you can be hiking in the mountains. One of the more popular hikes is Los Cahorros near Monachil. This hike takes you by cliff side waterfalls and over rope bridges. Los Cahorros is only one of the possibilities as you are spoiled for choice if you are looking for hikes near Granada. If you are traveling without a car, you can join a guided tour to Los Cahorros.

Costa Tropical

If you are looking for beaches near Granada, Spain, the Costa Tropical is a good bet. In just an hour you can be on the coast with beautiful azure water. I only had the chance to visit one beach on the Costa Tropical, La Rijana beach, but it was well worth the visit. There are tons of options for beaches close to Granada and because it is less popular than the Costa Sol, there’s a good chance of having the beach to yourself.

While visiting the Costa Tropical it’s worthwhile to stop at some of the white villages near the coast. One of Spain’s prettiest towns is the white village of Frigiliana and Nerja is another beautiful town to visit.

There are tours you can join that take in the Costa Tropical and its white villages, including this one if you are travelling car-free.

Alpujarras

Located not far from Granada at the base of the Sierra Nevadas is the Alpujarras region. This valley is full of picturesque towns set on the slopes of the mountains. These villages full of white-painted buildings are all connected through footpaths to one another. The towns here have specialties like Alpujarras rugs and ham. You can self-drive yourself through villages like Lanjarón, Bubión, and Capileira or you can let someone else do the navigating and join a guided tour like this one to the Las Alpujarras.

Day Trips from Granada

If you are looking to base yourself in or near Granada, it is in good reach of some fantastic day trips. While you could visit Seville and Cordoba as really long day trips, they both likely deserve a bit more time than that. If all you want to see in Cordoba is the mosque, it is doable as a day trip.

Caminito del Rey

Once known as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, the Caminito del Rey is now a fantastic place for hiking. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Granada so you will have plenty of time to hike. Hike high above a mountain gorge in this beautiful area of Andalusia. You do need to plan ahead for this hike as tickets are limited but you can usually find tickets with a tour group. The Caminito del Rey is easily one of my favourite experiences I had in southern Spain and is always my top recommendation when talking about travel in Spain. Check out my full guide to hiking Caminito del Rey. You can find tickets to the Caminito del Rey here.

Ronda

Ronda is easily Spain’s most famous white village. You can reach Ronda from Granada in about 2 hours of driving. It’s one of the cutest towns I’ve ever visited. Made famous by Ernest Hemingway for its bullfighting ring and scenic gorge and bridge, this town is well worth a visit. It’s popularity does mean it gets quite busy with tourists. You can see all of the sights in an afternoon and still have time to wander the beautiful cobblestone streets here. While you are here, I recommend walking down below to get a view of the town sitting high above.

Antequera and El Torcal de Antequera

Antequera is just over an hour’s drive from Granada. This area is known as the heart of Andalusia because it really is in the center of all the main cities. The main reason to visit Antequera is to see its massive Alcazaba (fortress) that sits above the town.

What drew me to Antequera was the strange rock formations that make up the El Torcal de Antequera park above the town. You can easily see both the town and hike in the park on a day trip from Granada, or on the drive from Granada to Seville.

Visiting Granada

Granada is a fantastic place to visit, with the highlight easily being the Alhambra and the delicious tapas. If you want to spend longer in Granada, there is plenty to do to stay occupied for a few days as well as great nearby towns and landscapes to explore. I loved my time in Granada and would happily return to explore more that this southern Spanish city has to offer.

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