The Moorish charms of the Alhambra in Granada – Spain

I might have realised that the Alhambra in Granada is one of the foremost tourist attractions of Spain when we arrived late morning to be told that all tickets for the palace were sold out. What a disappointment! Apparently you need to book online for the Alhambra, sometimes many days ahead, or arrive early when it opens to buy one of the few tickets that they sell on the day.

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Get your ticket to the palace early

If you don’t get a ticket for the palace, you should still do as we did and take the ticket to look around the gardens and grounds, including the courtyard of the Generalife and the walk along the battlements with a commanding view over the city. If ever you felt the power of the rulers of the Alhambra, it would be up there at the top of the tower, with the plains stretching before you and the palace behind you, with the flags flying in the breeze. No wonder they named it the Torre del Homenaje or the Tower of Homage.

We nearly didn’t come to Granada, as the day before we’d visited El Chorro in the pouring rain and  we couldn’t face another day of damp sightseeing. But luckily the sky was blue as we left Malaga, although as we got nearer the Sierra Nevada, the clouds were gathering again. There were a few light showers, but nothing to slow us down and later the sky brightened and we sat in the courtyard under the battlements in the sunshine, sipping a beer (Brian) a coffee (Ana) and a Magnum ice cream (Marilyn and me).

Visit the Moorish Generalife villa, courtyard and gardens

First we visited the Generalife, a moorish villa with courtyard surrounded by gardens that overlooks the main Nasrid Palaces. We passed through the huge, sculpted hedges, next to the area where they have a stage and seating for concerts in summer and climbed the water stairway, where channels of water cascade down on each side of the steps punctuated by small fountains.

In the gardens of the Generalife in particular, the sound of running water was everywhere in jets, fountains, pools and water channels. In the heat of the Spanish summer, this was the place where the Moorish kings came to relax and feel the cooler mountain air, serenaded by the music of running water.

The Alhambra complex was begun in the 13th century by the Moorish rulers of Granada, starting with Muhammad I who brought his court here and followed by Muhammad V who constructed the Palace of the Lions. In 1492, however, the Moorish rulers surrendered the palace to the forces of the Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and in the 16th Century King Charles V constructed his palace alongside the older Moorish ones.

As we didn’t get into the palace, we missed out on the beautiful tiled interiors, elegant courtyards  and ornate Arabic style carved stonework, although we got a taste of it in the Generalife. In early summer it would be perfect, to feel the heat of the sun tempered by the shady walkways and topiary and the sound of running water everywhere.

By the time we had walked everywhere, seen practically every bit of the garden, climbed every stairway and taken in every view, it was mid afternoon and we decided to go down into Granada to get something to eat. The guides advised us not to drive down into the city, but instead to either walk down the pathway that leads to the old town or to take one of the small buses that go up and down the hill (€1.20 each way).

Choose a Tapas Bar in Granada

As the bus was just leaving we took that and ended up wandering around a while in the alleyways of Granada trying to decide which of the many Tapas bars to choose. We ended up in one called Tabernas Salinas which was large and packed, but we stood at the bar, hanging our bags and coats on to one of the many hooks that lined the walls, and were treated to some free tapas with our drinks as we waited for a table to become free.

Eventually we were seated around 4pm (when the kitchen is normally closing in Spain) and chose from the many delicious dishes – mine was Pimientos del Piquillo rellenos de Bacalao or stuffed red peppers filled with a paste of salt cod with a seafood sauce.

The others had grilled octopus and stuffed aubergines, washed down with the local red wine. We didn’t have much time to see anything else of the city, but returned back up the hill to our parked car on the same minibus – they need to be small to turn the corners in the narrow streets.

I had previously visited Alhambra with the family over 10 years ago when we stayed in a campsite just up the valley looking towards the Sierra Nevada, and I have a picture of us all in front of one of those fountains in the courtyard of the palace. Next time I visit it will be in the early summer to stay in the luxurious Parador hotel in the Alhambra grounds and to wander around in the warm evening air, to the music of fountains, as if I owned the place – I wish!

Visitor information for the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Book tickets in advance for the Alhambra – highly recommended, especially in high season, or alternatively arrive at opening time and hope for the best. If you don’t get a ticket for the palace, you should still take the ticket to see the gardens, including the Generalife and the towers.

Plan your visit on the official Granada tourism website for Alhambra.

The Tapas bar where we ate was Tabernas Salinas in Granada. I recommend it for the lively atmosphere, tapas at the bar and the delicious light dishes of the restaurant.

If you’d like to stay in luxury in the Parador, set in a former convent  in the grounds of Alhambra, you can book the Parador de Granada Hotel.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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