Granada is a city set in the south of Spain, where the river Darro flows into the Genil, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and near the Mediterranean coast in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.
Its history dates back to the Iberian era and it was later conquered by the Romans.
In the 5th century, it was controlled by the Visigoths and in the Muslim era it was the capital of the Nasrid Kingdom between the 13th and 15th centuries. During that time, the city saw a cultural and architectural boom, with the building of the Alhambra.
The last king of Granada, from the Nasrid dynasty, was Boabdil who lost the city to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, putting an end to the Reconquista (Reconquering) of the Arab territories on the Iberian peninsula.
The legend goes that Aixa, Boabdil’s mother, reproached him harshly: “Cry like a woman who did not know how to defend herself like a man”.
Under the Catholic Monarchs, Granada became a hub of Christian power, which was reflected in the building of important sites such as the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, where the mortal remains of Isabella and Ferdinand lie.
The city’s most important sites include the Alhambra and the Generalife, displaying Arabic architecture with their courtyards, gardens and fountains, like the Court of the Lions. It was inside this complex that Charles V built his Renaissance palace.
From the Albaicín district of the city, you can take in the stunning views of the Alhambra and the city. This district is also home to the “Carmen” houses, houses with a courtyard in the centre and a fountain.
The Realejo district was Granada’s old Jewish Quarter.
In the Sacromonte district, the gypsy celebrations show off flamenco in its purest form in their cave houses.
There are squares with a particular charm about them, such as the San Nicolás square.
Granada is also home to the monastery of St. Jerome, where the Great Captain is buried.
Granada is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, which has a ski resort and is also home to the mountain of Mulhacén, the highest in the Peninsula. Its waters run through the rich Granada meadow, filling reservoirs and irrigation canals.
The water from Lanjarón is famous. The region of Apujarra also has beautiful white villages and the Tropical Coast is less than an hour from the city.
Easter celebrations in Granada display both devotion and art.
Another well-known festival is the Fiesta de las Cruces or Festival of the Crosses, celebrated on the 3rd of May, when the streets and squares are adorned with flower-covered crosses.
Granada’s cuisine is renowned for its tapas and typical dishes such as olla de San Antón, a stew with beans, rice and pork, remojón granaino, a cod and orange salad, plato alpujarreño, a regional dish with blood sausage, ham and eggs, choto al ajillo, a dish made with kid goat meat, bread and garlic, tortilla del Sacromonte and habas con jamón, broad beans with ham, with ingredients such as Trevélez ham and Santa Fe Piononos, a sweet sponge cake.
