All direct flights to Granada from the UK & Ireland

Mark Says

Nestled amid three hills and surrounded by a green and fertile plain, with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range looming in the distance and sheltering the idyllic Alpujarras foothills, it's easy to see why Granada and its environs were such an inspiration to the great Spanish writer Federico García Lorca. But this privileged natural setting is of only secondary importance to the millions of tourists who flock here every year. For Granada also possesses, quite simply, one of the true jewels of the Iberian Peninsula: the Alhambra.
Arguably the most picture perfect of all the Moorish palace complexes of Spain and proudly surveying the city beneath it, the Alhambra is a delicious combination of natural serenity and spectacular artistic and architectural nous. Remarkably well preserved and consisting of three main parts ' including the gorgeous Generalife gardens ' you could easily while away days there, basking in its collective splendour. For a truly magical experience, we'd recommend a visit during the evening, though do bear in mind that parts of the complex are closed after dark.
Granada is also your gateway to Trevélez ham, olde worlde taverns and free tapas to accompany every drink, and there's also a sizeable gypsy population, so the poignant tones of the flamenco are never too far away. Indeed, many still live in the cuevas (caves) of the Sacromonte hill to the north of the city. Inner city wanderings should also take you through the fascinating Albaicín, an old Muslim neighbourhood on the fringes of the Alhambra, made up of a mesh of winding alleys and whitewashed buildings.
As with the rest of Andalusia, Granada can get unbearably hot in the summer, so is best visited at any other time of year. However, Semana Santa celebrations are often at their most fervent in this part of the country, which can also make accommodation notoriously difficult to find around Easter time.