While the Spanish word granada means pomegranate, the eponymous city’s name is thought to derive from Arabic, meaning “hill of strangers.” Upon the expansion of northern kingdoms into southern Spain, this beautiful city in Andalucía adopted the pomegranate as its city symbol. Now it’s everywhere! The bollards on the street, railings in churches, mosaics, street signs, paving stones… even bathroom signs. It’s a beautiful symbol.
Today, I will begin sharing with you the highlights of our week in Granada, where we rented a lovely apartment in the Albaicín (also spelled Albayzín) neighborhood, across the steep narrow Darro River valley from the Alhambra. I’ll share some major and minor gems we found along the way. And, of course, I will let you know of a few restaurants in which we dined, and some hints on how best to enjoy this stunning city.
The Alhambra. It goes without saying that this UNESCO World Heritage site is the most prominent monument of Granada, its crown jewel. It was a palatine city within the city. There are fortifications, several palaces, a residential street, extensive gardens, and ruins within its immense walls. Much of the grounds are open to anyone, anytime. Tickets are checked for admittance to the Alcazaba fortification (above) with no specific time and, as we had arrived early, we went there first. It is big, severe, and has some complicated but not particularly interesting ruins within. The main appeal is the tremendous views from the ramparts, out over the city.
I can still feel the thrill as we entered into the Nasrid Palaces, needing to look in every direction — left, right, up, and down — to take it all in. There are four palaces from successive generations of the Nasrid dynasty, each more lavish than the preceding. A warren of rooms and courts progress from stark simplicity to intricate geometric complexity, with lavish surface ornament and complex shapes. After several hours of the intense interior, our minds were reeling; we then emerged into the tranquil gardens rife with cooling greenery, trickling fountains, and reflecting pools.
From the photos, you’ll know I was enamored of the ceilings, carved plaster walls, intricate tile work, and the magic of seeing through layers of ornate arches into courtyards and rooms.
Beyond the extensive palace gardens, out through a gate and bridge over a ravine, is the path to the Generalife — the summer get-away palace. Given its function, the Generalife is more gardens and airy loggias than palace.
The gardens of both the Alhambra and Generalife are justly legendary, and are early 20th-century restorations. To what degree they are based on evidence vs. yearning romance, we have no idea. Their mature plantings convey a sense of timelessness. There are miles of close-cropped myrtle hedges, the flower beds planted with chaotic masses of annuals, roses, and fruit trees, punctuated with numerous cypress that create contrasts of deep shade in the bright sloping morning light.
Water. One of the wonders of the entire place is the use of water. It is gravity fed from the mountains, crystal clear, and appears in fountains and rills, channels, basins everywhere from top to bottom. Gravity fed, it almost always flows in quiet trickles, not noisy or showy displays. The water isn’t just in gardens and courtyards — it also appears in the center of many rooms in the palace, with shallow grooves in floors and paving that carry it from one space to another.
For those lucky enough to visit, there is no wonder that the Alhambra has been memorialized in literature, poetry, art, and music.
A couple of notes: Get Advanced Tickets from the official site for the Nasrid Palaces (this is the only timed part of the ticket), and be on time for your reservation. Expect crowds at all times. Although I managed to get quite a few photos with few or no people, know that we were literally surrounded by hundreds of people the entire time. Also, the Alhambra is on top of a very steep promontory and the climb can sap your energy if it’s a warm day. I recommend saving your energy for the visit and taking a taxi or the bus (Alsa — Line C32), which is a loop that includes the Albaicín neighborhood and the Alhambra.
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And To Eat?
Taberna Perla Negra. Our first dining-out experience was stumbled into for the simple combination of our jet lag and the fact that it was right in front of us. And there were tables outdoors. We had an absolutely wonderful dish of Anchoas del Cantábrico (marinated anchovies) served with toasts, Salmorejo, and chopped egg along with a plate of Jamøon Ibérico, served with bread. Another time we enjoyed the vegetable croquetas and a few other tapas.
It was on our second visit that we dined indoors and discovered the the restaurant (Black Pearl) was named for the ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and was decorated with Johnny Depp posters and pirate allusions. So droll, but the food was consistently delicious, and the service very friendly. It’s a great stop after a morning tour of the Alhambra.
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Donn Poll
November 8, 2022 at 8:57 amOh, David. Your reporting is seductive… Thanks for such a vivid portrait of this place and its flavors. We hope to become intimate with the senses that you have illustrated.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 8:57 amWe definitely need to have a zoom so that we can discuss things to do and see in Sevilla, Granada, and Córdoba. You are going to love your time there!
Mark Nelson
November 8, 2022 at 9:59 amDavid “Rick” Scott “Steves” Allen!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 8:57 amAll those first names! All those last names! I’m confusing even myself…
Jill Jill
November 8, 2022 at 10:07 amSo stunning. These are photos to be looked at many times. Thanks for taking us with you and Mark. xoxo
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 8:58 amThere’s so much more to come, Jill! You will be astonished.
hervey juris
November 8, 2022 at 11:08 amMagnificent, thank you!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 8:58 amThanks, Hervey — There is much more to come!
Mad Dog
November 8, 2022 at 2:15 pmGreat pictures David! I love the street sign – Calle Bocanegrà, meaning Black Mouth Street!
It’s amazing to think that all those intricate carvings in the Alhambra were done by hand. Similarly, water coming via aquaducts from the mountains, feeding the fountains and irrigating farms, etc. in Spain still comes from ancient channels and stonework, some of which dates back to the Romans with expansion and refinements from the Moors.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:00 amThe water works in all of Spain did amaze us, Mad Dog. It’s no wonder that it reminded us of Rome, since much of it to do with the Romans. Calle Bocanegra was the street on which we stayed in Granada.
Benita Silvyn
November 8, 2022 at 2:53 pmWhat incredible pictures! If I can’t be there, this certainly permitted me to appreciate the beauty of the area. I am saving them, for future revisiting.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:00 amNext week (and for several weeks!) , Benita, there will be much more to see. I’m so glad you enjoyed these photos.
Ed Woll
November 8, 2022 at 4:42 pmAn enthralling tour of Granada. And Taberna Perla Negra is now in my address book. Thank you.
Ed
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:01 amThanks, Ed. There are a couple of other restaurant recommendations coming up next week. None of them are “fine dining“ but they do really give you a sense of the region.
2pots2cook
November 9, 2022 at 2:44 amAnd I think to myself….. what a wonderful world…
For all passionate books readers, I feel free and comfortable at your place, dear friend, to turn attention to The Islam Quintet written by Tariq Ali. If you love history, this is wonderful Christmas gift. Here is the link also:
https://www.versobooks.com/series_collections/115-the-islam-quintet
I truly hope you’ll enjoy these beauties as much as I did. Bye until our next gathering 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:02 amThank you so much for that recommendation, Davorka. Definitely something we want to check out… The Mozarabic architecture was so alluring and, to me, so much more interesting than the Christian architecture. I can’t wait to share with you the photographs from Sevilla!
Marian Jensen
November 9, 2022 at 12:11 pmThanks for this wonderful post. We’ll certainly refer to it when we make our (first ever) visit to Granada.
Spain is seductive, no?
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:04 amThanks, Marian — seductive is the perfect word, especially for Andalucia. I can’t wait for you to go! See you Saturday at the wedding!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
November 10, 2022 at 6:06 amFabulous! You know I’ve been wanting to visit the Alhambra ever since learning about in a high school Spanish class. And yet I’ve never been… yet. In fact, I’ve never been to Spain. It’s probably the biggest single “hole” in my travel experiences. Your beautiful photos and lovely descriptions make me want to pack my bags right now.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2022 at 9:05 amFunny, Frank, for me it was the Alcázar! Little did I know as a kid that there is at least one Alcázar in every major city! The one in Segovia is the one that stole my heart I said young boy, but, as an adult, the one in Sevilla really knocked my socks off! you will want to be adding both the Alhambra and the Alcazar to your list! magical doesn’t even begin to describe them…
The-FoodTrotter
November 10, 2022 at 3:38 pmWhat a lovely jouney! I remember the beautiful time I had in Granada and how majestic the Alhambra was…. I was just stunned! I sadly didn’t have much tapas there, but I went to a magnificent Moroccan restaurant.
Gerlinde
November 12, 2022 at 12:22 pmThank you so much David for sharing this beautiful site with us. There is so much beauty in this world,
Cocoa & Lavender
November 14, 2022 at 7:09 amThere really is Gerlinde — all we need to do is open our eyes whether in our own back yards or across the oceans…
sherry
November 13, 2022 at 2:28 amoh my, so many beautiful buildings. so many gorgeous photos. what a fascinating place. and the tapas look smashing. everything is just amazing. look at the architecture and the design. one day i must get there …
Cocoa & Lavender
November 14, 2022 at 7:15 amI think I was so stunned going through the building that I need another trip to go through it again! I can’t imagine how many things I missed… Truly a beautiful place, and I hope you to get there someday.
Valentina
November 13, 2022 at 9:28 pmBeautiful photos David. I feel like I just took a tour down part of my memory lane (in Spain). I love all of the intricate details in the carved plaster too, and tiles, and all of it. The work is so amazing — when I think about how these structures were made, it blows my mind. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
November 14, 2022 at 7:19 amEvery time I look back at my photographs, I am in awe of the workmanship that it took to build these places. Soon, you will see photos of the Alcázar, which also put me away. I’m glad it’s giving you a fun visit down memory lane, Valentina.
Marcelle
November 14, 2022 at 4:21 pmHi David, I’m so happy you and Mark got to take this amazing trip! Your photos in the post are absolutely stunning! All of that fantastical tile work and the gorgeous arches would have been my favorite part !! Oh and the food, I would have loved the food 🙂 Those Johnny Depp posters though… LOL
Cocoa & Lavender
November 19, 2022 at 10:33 amHonestly, had we seen the Johnny Depp poster first, we might not have stayed to eat! Glad we did, though!
Christina Conte
November 15, 2022 at 7:24 pmOn my Google maps already! I didn’t know Granada means pomegranate!! My favorite fruit is the pomegranate, so I’ll have to visit! Reminds me a bit of Sintra in Portugal (if you haven’t gone, you MUST GO)! Thanks for the lovely post and photos, David, what a wonderful trip you had!
John
December 5, 2022 at 2:40 amIt feels like a lifetime ago when we visited the Alhambra. Such a magnificent place and one of the world’s true architectural treasures. You’re making me want to return to Spain!