If Seville is the jewel of Southern Spain, then Granada is the
black sheep of the family, decidedly more North African than European.
Travelling a couple hours by bus, we were transported into a staggering and
different world of dark, tiny alleys and fragrant, colourful storefronts.
The Moorish influence extends beyond the main tourist mecca
that travelers pilgrimage here for – the Alhambra (a massive blog post photo
dump that I’m saving for another post, another day). The food, souvenirs, and
even the people, all bring a little taste of present-day Morocco to the city.
The Alhambra isn’t the only
thing you can – or should – see while you’re in Granada. Mom and I packed in many
other sights and activities during our time here, some of which were a let down
(not-so-free tapas) and some which were a well-kept secret (a crowd-free Alhambra
lookout point).
Take a walk in El Albayzín
Upon arrival in Granada, Mom and I threw ourselves right
into the crowds by walking to and through the Medieval Moorish area, El Albayzín. The roads are narrow, winding,
and slant steadily uphill the further you go.
One street in particular – Calle Calderería Nueva – overflows with shops, teahouses,
restaurants, and merchants begging you to come into their store. It’s an
explosion of colour, of pattern, of friendly smiling faces, of tourists, and
Mom and I loved it.
This was one of those times when I wished I had a shipping
container instead of a backpack. From the pretty star-like lanterns to the massive
tablecloths and bedcovers, I would have bought it all. ALL.
Sip tea at a Moroccan “teteria”
Because shopping made us tired, we popped into a dimly lit,
elaborately decorated teteria, a traditional Moroccan teahouse. There are
dozens of these on Calderería
Nueva, and I picked the one we went to solely on interior design. There’s really
no other way to differentiate them, since they all serve the same thing!
The tea ended up being delicious, served in a silver pot
with tall, skinny glasses to drink out of. There’s also shisha available as
well, if you’re into that kind of thing (I’m not).
Enjoy a delicious Moroccan meal
While in the Moorish area of the Albayzín, there’s really only one thing you should
be eating – Moroccan food! Since Granada is close to North Africa and has a
rich Moorish history, there were many delicious options.
Mom and I opted for what I read was the best in the city, a place
called Restaurante Arrayanes. As per
tradition, we ordered one thing and shared, because at this point on our trip,
we knew just how huge portion sizes are in Spain (they’re massive).
For starters, we ordered a
delicious mint lemonade. We split a chicken tagine, the classic Moroccan dish, next. Although the flavour wasn’t
as bold as I expected, our experience at the restaurant was exceptional because
of the service. The owner introduced himself, seated us, and kept checking in
on everyone to make sure they were having a good time.
The best part of the meal was dessert, a not-too-sweet fig and date pie that again, Mom and I shared.
Stand in awe of the Alhambra – from afar
Those uphill roads I was talking about? Well, they all lead
to a wonderful lookout above the city. The most popular lookout point, which is
packed with tourists, is Mirador San Nicolas. Go there, take some photos, and
then make your way to a less-packed, but still gorgeous, view of the city. See
below.
Fantasize about moving into this Granadian home
Totally free of entrance, the Carmen-Museo Max Moreau is the
former house of Belgian painter Max Moreau, now turned into a museum. We walked
around the small but beautiful grounds, enjoyed looking at his artwork, but
even more wishing it was possible to move in here.
There’s a terrace/patio on top of his house with a view of
the Alhambra. With less people trying to find room to get that perfect
Instagram shot, we had time to bask in its beauty and look down at the rest of
the city.
Enjoy Southern Spain’s free tapas (kind of)
So… our Lonely Planet guidebook and numerous blogs and
articles and sources all let us know that Granada is one of the only cities
left in Spain that serves you free tapas when you order a drink, i.e. a beer.
The catch we encountered though, was that the cost of the
beer includes the price of the tapa. So in Granada, beer is 2 euros instead of
1, to account for the 1 euro tapa. It’s not really free. And you don’t get to
choose what you’ll get with your beer. So Mom and I were majorly disappointed.
Especially because we’re pretty sure these free sausages made us sick.
To make up for our disappointment, we went to Calle Navas
the next day, a street brimming with one tourist catered restaurant after another.
Although we originally wanted to go to the Granada staple of Los Diamantes, it
was packed elbow to knee to elbow, so we went to another generic one down the
street. At Divisa Blanca Taberna, I ordered wine and mussels, the largest
mussels I had ever eaten that were absolutely delicious.
Tour the Cathedral and the Royal Tombs
There’s a risk of getting “churched-out” in Europe. One
cathedral starts blending into another and before you know it, you’re bored out
of your mind with pulpits, organs, paintings, etc. The Catedral de Granada was
a pleasant surprise, however, because included in the price of admission is a
free audio guide. The paintings start coming to life, and before you know it,
Mom and I were enjoying, not dreading, a church visit.
Around the corner from the Cathedral are the tombs of the famous
Spanish Royalty – Queen Isabella of Castille and King Ferdinand of Aragorn. They’ve
both been buried in the Royal Chapel of Granada since the early 1500s, which is an insanely long time.
Unfortunately, no photo taking in the chapel or tombs is allowed, but take my word for it, being in
the (dead) presence of these great figures of history was a cool experience.
Ah, Granada. I wish we had a few more days there, to explore the underground caves in Sacromonte or make a visit to the traditional Arab bath houses, El Banuelo. One could stay here all week and just feast on Moroccan and North African food, or lounge on rooftop patios with a drink in hand, toasting to one of the most beautiful views in the world.
