Looking Back at Our Trip to the Beautiful City of Granada, Spain

Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada is a wonderful city located in southern Spain. For obvious reasons, the Alhambra Palace is a definite highlight of a visit to Granada, but there is more to see than just the fortress and palace. The narrow streets, beautiful cathedral, the Royal Chapel, and restaurants and stores make visiting the city worth at least a couple of days in order to see it adequately. The city is very walkable, although many of the narrow streets can be quite steep, so feel free to stop at a local bistro for a quick break to enjoy a glass of Spanish wine.

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Walking the Streets of Granada
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Views from the Walls of Alhambra
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Ornate Dome Inside of the Cathedral
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Amazing City Views

With an elevation over 2,400 feet (730 meters) above sea level and with roads that crawl up the sides of the Sierra Nevada mountains, there are wonderful views of the city from several vantage points. Some of the best are from the walls of Alhambra, but there are many from neighborhoods as well. Even though the panoramic views are amazing, the best views can be found by walking the side streets and discovering some of the many restaurants and shops that the city has to offer. One of our favorite streets wrapped itself along the sides of Alhambra and provided a different view of the fortress.

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Enjoying a Glass of Wine at a Bistro
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Walking Some Steep Stairs in the City
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Looking Up at Alhambra from the Street Below
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Spectacular Views from Alhambra

When planning a trip to Granada, or southern Spain in general, one should be prepared to be on a relaxing schedule. No one is in a hurry and even though the temperatures can be more mild than other parts of the region, people still go out for walks late into the evening. Granada is located about an hour’s drive from the coast and an hour and a half from the city of Malaga. It was closer to a four and a half hour drive from where we stayed in Estepona. It was certainly worth taking the time to get there. If you intend to go to Alhambra, as you definitely should, be sure to buy your tickets well in advance as they do sell out up to six to eight weeks ahead of time.

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View of the Neighborhood that We Walked
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Entrance to the Royal Chapel
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Sitting at a Street Side Café
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Walking a Narrow Street Near the Alhambra Complex

We really enjoyed our time in Granada and it was one of our favorite memories of the region. We also spent time in Seville as well as Ronda, but seeing Alhambra in Granada is a memory of a lifetime. We spent several days in Granada, making our time there very relaxing and enjoying many different restaurants with wonderful food.

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We Even Found an Irish Pub
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Our Hotel
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Fountain in Alhambra
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Cathedral Exterior

The Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel

Granada is a historic city located in Southern Spain and many people visit there to see the Alhambra Palace and Fortress complex. It is equally important to visit the Granada Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Incarnation, and the Royal Chapel, which is adjacent to the church. The cathedral has an interesting architecture that represents the changing styles that were occurring during its construction in the mid-16th century. There are some gothic features, but it is mainly in the Spanish Renaissance style with elements of Baroque.

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Looking Up at the Dome
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Entrance to the Royal Chapel
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Massive Organ
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Walking Through the Cathedral

The cathedral features a large organ, high domed ceilings, white marble pillars, and a black and white checkered floor. The main dome, with its green background and gold stars, certainly draws the attention of anyone who visits the cathedral. In addition to all of the golden features throughout the interior of the cathedral, beautiful pieces of art adorn the walls of the church. Although the exterior is not as impressive as some of the other gothic cathedrals that can be found all around Europe, it is still quite worth visiting.

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Golden Details
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Impressive Artwork
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Front of the Cathedral
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Cathedral Courtyard

Located next to the cathedral is the Royal Chapel, which is the burial place of the Spanish Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand. It was Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand who famously funded Christopher Columbus’ venture that led to the European colonization of the Americas. Construction of the Royal Chapel began in the early 1500’s and was built in the gothic style. The highlight of visiting the Royal Chapel is seeing the tombs, which are protected by a glass wall.

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Narrow Streets Near the Cathedral
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Tombs in the Royal Chapel
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Giant Columns
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Cathedral Doors

The Granada Cathedral is certainly gorgeous and is a highlight of any visit to Granada. In addition to the cathedral and the Royal Chapel, there are many small streets that wind all around the heart of the old town area with plenty of small restaurants and shops.

The Beautiful City of Granada, Spain

Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada is a wonderful city located in southern Spain. For obvious reasons, the Alhambra Palace is a definite highlight of a visit to Granada, but there is more to see than just the fortress and palace. The narrow streets, beautiful cathedral, the Royal Chapel, and restaurants and stores make visiting the city worth at least a couple of days in order to see it adequately. The city is very walkable, although many of the narrow streets can be quite steep, so feel free to stop at a local bistro for a quick break to enjoy a glass of Spanish wine.

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Walking the Streets of Granada

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Views from the Walls of Alhambra

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Ornate Dome Inside of the Cathedral

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Amazing City Views

With an elevation over 2,400 feet (730 meters) above sea level and with roads that crawl up the sides of the Sierra Nevada mountains, there are wonderful views of the city from several vantage points. Some of the best are from the walls of Alhambra, but there are many from neighborhoods as well. Even though the panoramic views are amazing, the best views can be found by walking the side streets and discovering some of the many restaurants and shops that the city has to offer. One of our favorite streets wrapped itself along the sides of Alhambra and provided a different view of the fortress.

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Enjoying a Glass of Wine at a Bistro

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Walking Some Steep Stairs in the City

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Looking Up at Alhambra from the Street Below

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Spectacular Views from Alhambra

When planning a trip to Granada, or southern Spain in general, one should be prepared to be on a relaxing schedule. No one is in a hurry and even though the temperatures can be more mild than other parts of the region, people still go out for walks late into the evening. Granada is located about an hour’s drive from the coast and an hour and a half from the city of Malaga. It was closer to a four and a half hour drive from where we stayed in Estepona. It was certainly worth taking the time to get there. If you intend to go to Alhambra, as you definitely should, be sure to buy your tickets well in advance as they do sell out up to six to eight weeks ahead of time.

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View of the Neighborhood that We Walked

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Entrance to the Royal Chapel

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Sitting at a Street Side Café

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Walking a Narrow Street Near the Alhambra Complex

We really enjoyed our time in Granada and it was one of our favorite memories of the region. We also spent time in Seville as well as Ronda, but seeing Alhambra in Granada is a memory of a lifetime. We spent several days in Granada, making our time there very relaxing and enjoying many different restaurants with wonderful food.

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We Even Found an Irish Pub

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Our Hotel

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Fountain in Alhambra

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Cathedral Exterior