Went to Granada and loved it - except the weather which was freezing in early March! Granada is surprisingly high up.

Make sure you visit the Alhambra and the Generalife Gardens. The Alhambra has a special palace to visit (the Palace of the Winds) where all the famous 'rooms' are, and you need to buy a timed ticket for this. They let 400 people in every 15 mins, but these are often booked en masse by tour operators. All is not lost. http://www.alhambra.es is I think the online ticket desk, (or put Alhambra, Granada into a search engine) and book on line. Allow at least 15 mins from the entrance to reach this part of the site, preferably more. Your little 'un will benefit from his buggy! It is a fabulous experience. You will need lots of camera film. There are shops and a loo within the site, (pricey drinks from machines) also at the far end a 'sort of beer stand'. You'll need a fair bit of water, a sunhat each and suncream as the site is quite exposed.

The Generalife Palace and gardens are out of this world, but if you follow the route plan, you may find that there are too many steps at the end of the visit - follow the disabled route out, or try to get back to the main entrance of the palace (albeit the first thing you encounter is a flight of stairs).

The Alhambra is up a very steep hill! Take a taxi from your hotel - it shouldn't cost more than 5€.

There are also two open top bus routes. We did them both for the cost of one ticket! And on the little one, if the driver is kind, he'll let you stay on for a second circuit to see the Albacin, a suburb of terraced whitewashed homes opposite the Alhambra. Lovely to explore but loads of steps!

Don't forget to visit the Cathedral (on Grand Via) or the tombs of I think Frederick and Isabella. Behind the Cathedral are beautiful pedestrian streets, rather similar to those of the Moroccan souks but without the danger of getting lost. Definitely worth a wander.

As regards restaus, there are many .... some quite pricey. If you feel comfy with your son, and want to splash out, the restaurant in the Parador in the gardens of the Alhambra is worth a splurge (we had American guests so we did and really enjoyed it!)

Have a lovely time!

Hello - we had a two night break in Granada a couple of years ago. I loved it. As the previous poster stays, the Alhambra is a must see - and it pretty much can take up a whole day.

We had a hotel with a pool (just opposite the Alhambra entrance) so we were able to spend some time just chilling out, too.

In the evenings if you look around by Plaza Nueva, there are a couple of traditional bodegas - Bodega Castaneda & Antigua Casaneda, which do free tapas with drinks. They get very busy after 8, and you can also buy tapas/meals in there. The food was great, and we got so much free stuff (shrimps, tortilla, bread/ham) that we didn't end up going out for dinner because we were full!!

We found Granada to be a lively, buzzing place at night - its a university town, so lots of young people around (but not drunken loutish types ).

There is a bus that will take you up the hill out of town, and you can then walk back down through the old windy streets.

It's a great place - I think you'll enjoy it if you go

Hi,

Granada is a wonderful city and well worth a visit. I endorse everything that everybody says about the Alhambra - a definite 'must see' but Granada is a compact city and ideal for wandering round on foot - the central area around the cathedral is fully pedestrianised with numerous little squares with cafes to sit and watch the world go by. The local buses, including 2 circular routes that cover the older hillier parts of the city with minibuses, are cheap and frequent but taxis aren't that expensive either.

The older part of the city isn't buggy-friendly because it is so hilly but the people are very child friendly and your baby will be made a fuss of wherever you go. Restaurants etc are likely to be far more family-friendly than you'll be used to here. It's far more common to see families out and about of an evening than here. Few places will be bothered by you turning up with a baby and as long as you have one that s/he can comfortably sleep in then just get yourself out there and enjoy the city at night.

It's worth remembering that the main meal of the day for the locals will be taken in the early afternoon and you can get extremely well priced set meals at many places at that time of the day. In a week's stay there I never paid for tapas - unlike in Barcelona the bars in Granada still keep to the tradition of providing tapas free with each round of drinks. In fact in one bar were we loved the tapas but didn't want any more to drink our request to BUY another plateful was the cause of much hilarity!

Another thing to remember is that because of the long midday 'lunch hour' to accommodate this being the main meal of the day and the thriving siesta tradition most shops, apart from those solely geared up to the tourists, will shut by 1.00pm and probably won't open again until 3.00pm at the earliest but more likely 4.00pm but they do open much later as a result. Compared to the UK every night is late night shopping and you'll find that few shops will close again before 7.00pm

In May the weather will probably be mild and better than you'd get here in late spring but it is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and so will probably get chilly in the evening.

SM

I'm just about to book a three day break in Granada flying into Granada airport around 8pm. The airport website gives shuttle bus times which finish before we fly in but I wondered if this was prior to flights from Liverpool as I fear a taxi could be expensive. Has anyone any further info? I would like to stay in the Abadia hotel which is newly opened in a 16th century building not far from the Alhambra, it looks amazing, has anyone stayed there? Any information would be gratefully received if someone has already had experience of Granada.

Have'nt stayed at the hotel but Alhambra Palace is a great place to visit, you are also at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains where you can find Europe's southern most ski resort! (nov-march)

Would expect a cab to cost about €25-30, a private transfer with shuttle direct is about that.

http://shuttledirect.com/en/php/airport_shuttle_direct.php

hope this helps

Gary

I'm off to Granada in two and a half weeks and wondered if anyone had been in November? I have already booked my Alhambra tickets but entrance to the palace is 10am so I guess we will have to make an early start. What I need to know is how long it will take to pick up the tickets and get to the palace, I was hoping for a later slot as I would have liked to walk to the Alhambra from our hotel.
The temperatures in the morning are a bit low so I guess it gets chilly at night but they seem to reach 70 during the day so that will suit me fine! Just hope it's sunny on the day we go, I have waited a long time to see it and take loads of photos. Thanks for the recommendations of the bodegas rosieh, that's what we will be looking for and Plaza Nueva is within walking distance of our hotel so that's even better.

Hi Scousemouse,

I went to Granada in the 3rd week in September in 2003 and the weather was warm during the day and even though I took a coat for the evening never wore it until the early morning start on our last day waiting for the bus to get back to Malaga for the flight home when it was quite chilly and certainly the coldest morning we experienced. However, by the time we left the first snows had already fallen on the Sierra Nevada mountains - which incidentally looked wonderful at sunset from the terrace of the big hotel opposite the main entrance to the Generalife Gardens and Alhambra, definitely worth the price of a cocktail! So by the time you go it could be appreciably nippier of an evening than when I was there but you'd probably get away with a jacket rather than needing an overcoat.

If you've pre-booked your tickets for the Alhambra you collect them at the main entrance to the Generalife gardens and you should allow at least 15 mins to walk directly through the gardens. On both my visits we didn't have to spend time much queuing to collect the tickets as they so seem to operate a pretty smooth system. Given that your tickets are valid for a 15 minute 'window' for entering the Palace I would plan to be at the main entrance by 9.45am at the latest but it might be worth giving yourself a bit more leeway, especially as if I remember correctly the walk through the gardens is mostly uphill, though not that steep, but also with some ssteps to climb. Be warned that it is quite a steep pull up the hill to the Alhambra from the city centre in the first place. Also, the gardens are well worth a good few hours on their own so given your timings you are probably best advised to just make your way as quickly as possible to the actual Palace entrance after collecting your tickets and then retrace your steps and view the gardens at your leisure after touring the palace. Note that once inside there is no time limit on how long you spend in the Alhambra Palace itself and your ticket is valid for the whole day for everything else within the complex.

You don't say how long you are staying but there are lots of other things to see and do within Granada and if I can help in any other way let me know. It has a thriving Salsa dance scene especially which was my main reason for going!

SM

Hi SM,
Thanks for your advice, that's exactly what I was looking for, we are only there for 48 hours but I intend to make the best of it!

Hi Scousemouse,

Granada is quite a compact city and if you are staying within walking distance of the Plaza Nueva then you are pretty much within walking distance of everywhere - though be warned it is quite a hilly city too!

Something which doesn't seem to be that well known about the city is that there is a restored Moorish bath house which is lovely and an ideal way of relaxing after a busy day sightseeing and before hitting the town at night. As well as the usual steam room, hot and cold pools you can also get an excellent massage there. It's set in a side street by the river immediately under the cliff that is topped by the Alhambra.

SM

Hi SM
I don't think I will have the time, we have recently returned from Turkey so although it's wonderful it's not much of a novelty to me any more and I would rather spend my time out and about, thanks all the same! Perhaps I will change my mind after a few of those hills or steps in the Alhambra!
Scousemouse

I've just spent the morning gleaning info from websites, that hammam (bath house) looks wonderful, authentic tiles and moorish arches and knocks spots off those marble hotel ones.
Granada seems to host a real variety of nightlife, I quite fancy the caves with the flamenco dancers and I have found an excellent, clear map but I realised why I have been confused, some of the maps are on their side so I have no ideea which way is North!
Below is a really useful site with maps, restaurants, bars, 360o panoramic views, transport and accomodation info.

http://granadainfo.com/english.htm

although not technically the correct forum I am going to move this post to Costa Del Sol. There are several other posts on Granada there. However, members will still be able to read it from the Other Destinations forum.

Back from our November jaunt.
Coaches met our evening flight and for 3 euros we were in the city in 20 minutes, brilliant value, we dumped the bags and went out for a meal and a few drinks.
The first morning we awoke to a brilliant blue sky, freezing cold wind and bright warm sunshine, luckily we had booked to go to the Alhambra on that day so the photos are glorious but it was really cold. By afternoon the wind had dropped and it was pleasant to sit out for a bite to eat in the main square and later to walk up to the fascinating Sacramonte and watch the sunset from the Albaicin (Moorish quarter). It was really cold that evening, around 2 degrees and the next day was dull and freezing and we were glad we had done the Alhambra the previous day. The little tourist buses are great and at less than a euro, good value and our hotel was excellent (and cheap) the nightlife was a bit odd but that's all part of the fun! It's a beautiful city, I enjoyed it so much I'm going again in March.

Coaches meet the flights and in 20 minutes we were in the city and all for 3 euros, excellent value. The hotel was great, exactly how it was portrayed.

Hi Scousemouse,

Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Granada - it really is a wonderful city isn't it? I see you found the nightlife a little odd - care to elaborate a bit? I thought it was wonderful but then I am really into Salsa and there were some good venues for that. One thing is that everything really does start up quite late as per the Spanish way it would seem. The locals never go out for dinner much before 10.00pm and so never move on to the next part of the evening until gone midnight.

SM

PS Did you go to the nightclub come cinema that rather the usual sort of cinema seats in rows has gold lame covered sofas around the place instead? Even by Granada standards it is a little odd!

I have recently returned from a further trip to fascinating Granada, this time for 3 days. Although the snow was thick on the Sierra Nevada (making a wonderful backdrop to the Alhambra) we actually got quite sunburnt and our foreheads and noses have peeled since we got home, quite a novelty for me! There were many red faces on the flight home.

I was able to view quite a bit more of the city this time but also revisited the fabulous Alhambra, the Albaicin (Moorish quarter) and Sacramento (caves). We visited the La Cartuja monastery which although doesn't look much from the outside, it is well worth the walk, we also discovered "El Ojo de Granada" which is visually fascinating but our guide, an elderly gentleman who spoke excellent English, was a mine of information and charming with it, if you have never been in a camera obscura, it's highly recommended.

We found a walk along the River Darro on the opposite side to the Sacromento, very peaceful with lovely views. There is plenty of choice of bars and lunchtime eating places but we found it easier to have our main meal mid afternoon and to have tapas in the evening (try the tapas bars on the narrow road along the river up from the Plaza Nueva). We managed a quick visit to an Arab teterias (teahouse) before leaving for our bus to the airport, just to ensure we made the most of our trip. The tourist Alhambra buses are a great way of getting about, a bit like the Turkish dolmus, 1 euro per trip no matter how far, the Albaicin one is worth it for a quick tour of the most interesting part of the city, even if you don't get off!

Definitely a good weekend or midweek break.

Hi
My mate is going to granada in a two weeks for a long weekend.

She wants to book tickets for the Alhambra plalace.

i was wondering if anybody knew where the best place on the internet is to book tickets in advance.

thanks

Hi wickedchris ... we have a couple of topics in our Costa del Sol forum which may be of interest:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=60663

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=26606

David

Hi Chris, I much prefer the BBC myself .

Regards
Sliema2