The next day was set aside entirely for La Alhambra and the Generalife. We highly recommend taking a full day to explore both.
When we first arrived in Spain, we kept noticing this very popular breakfast dish, which seemed to consist of tomato and olive oil on bread and toasted. Since we didn’t exactly know what it was called, we couldn’t figure out how or where to order it. We tried multiple times to order it and never quite got it right. One of my attempts was at Siloé, a little restaurant/café on Calle Carcel Baja near the Granada Cathedral. I ended up with this:
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| This was not right. |
We spent a good chunk of our trip staring at people who had somehow managed to successfully order this dish, lamenting as to why we couldn’t figure out what this simple thing was. We later learned that this “toast with tomato” was called just that…toast with tomato; or, pan con tomate. It was a little ridiculous how much energy was spent trying to figure this out, but once we eventually did, we were able to successfully order it. It was very tasty! Check out a recipe here.
As we made our way through Granada to La Alhambra and Generalife, we were tempted into a quaint little woodworking shop with some of the most beautifully crafted items. The shop is owned and ran by a man named Manuel Morillo Castillo, a local craftsman who makes all his items in-house. His shop is located on Cuesta de Gomérez across the street from Casa del Arte Flamenco. He crafts stools, side tables, boxes, decor, card boxes, mirrors, and chess/checker boards, to name a few of his pieces!
One of the fun things about traveling is, that in an effort to stick to your schedule and plans, you often make mistakes that lead you to unintended destinations. One such destination landed in our lap on our way to La Alhambra. Meaning to walk up Paseo de la Sabica, we mistakenly took Camino Nuevo del Cementerio to Calle de Antequeruela Alta which spit us right out onto the gem that is the Carmen de los Mártires, or Carmen of the Martyrs.
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| Donkeys in front of Carmen de los Mártires |
Established in 1492, it was originally a church commissioned to be built by the Queen for the purpose of establishing a memory of the Christian martyrs who suffered under the Arab domination of Granada. It later evolved into a larger church with a covenant and chapels, and was eventually sold in the 19th century. It went through numerous private owners who struggled to maintain the upkeep demands of the gardens. When the gardens were practically dead, the owner at the time donated the Carmen to the city of Granada. The gardens today have been almost entirely restored; they are beautiful to walk through and explore; take in the awesome views of Granada, the Vega, and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Keep your eyes peeled too for the peacocks who have made these gorgeous gardens their home!
Entrance is free; winter hours (November through February) are Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday/Holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; summer hours (March through October) are Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday/Holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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| Donkeys takin a water break |
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| Find the donkeys! |
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| Find the donkeys! |
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| Awwww |
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| Peacock! |
We finally found the right street and made our way to La Alhambra. Tickets to La Alhambra are sold for a specific time period on a specific date. We highly recommend purchasing tickets for La Alhambra ahead of time. The lines are always very long and there is no guarantee that there will be tickets left for any times for the rest of the day. If you have only reserved one day in your trip to see La Alhambra and the tickets are sold out, you will have missed one of the most impressive and imposing tourist sights in Spain.
There are numerous types of tickets you can purchase depending on how much time you have and what you want to see. Check out all ticket types here. Buy tickets here.
Once you have your tickets, you will still have to stand in line to get in once your assigned time rolls around. It’s helpful to get there about 15 minutes before your ticketed time.
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| Andy and Donkeys waiting their turn. Don was getting impatient. |
La Alhambra is a palace and complex of buildings, fortresses, and gardens built in 889. Its ruins were renovated and rebuilt around the 1350’s by the Moorish emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar. In 1333 it was converted into a royal palace by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada. After the Catholic monarchs took over Granada, La Alhambra was used as a palace for Christian rulers (indeed, Charles V palace was not an original building of La Alhambra; it was built in 1527 by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V).
For centuries, La Alhambra sat in disrepair. It was occupied by squatters, damaged, vandalized, and otherwise ignored until a group of students and scholars in the 19th century decided to push for its revitalization. In 1984 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
La Alhambra can be divided into five sections; Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba, Generalife, Charles V Palace, and the Upper Alhambra/High Towers. The best way to see it is to check off the Generalife first, follow by the Upper Alhambra/High Towers, Nasrid Palaces, Charles V Palace, and finally the Alcazaba.
GENERALIFE: The Generalife is a palace and gardens used as the summer palace/estate of the Nasrid Emirs of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus. It was built during the reign of Muhammad III from 1302 to 1309 and consists of the Patio de la Acequia and the Jardím de la Sultana. It is one of the oldest Arab gardens in the world and filled with gorgeous flowers, shrub mazes, and fountains.
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| Check out the pebbles in this picture; the white ones are from the River Darro and the black ones are from the River Genil. |
UPPER ALHAMBRA: The upper area of La Alhambra is essentially divided into two areas called the “unirrigated land of the Alhambra” and the “upper alhambra.” The unirrigated land is located between the Tower of the Princesses, the Tower of the Captive, and the Tower of the Seven Floors. It is made up of a set of ruins that found their fate due to the destroyed irrigation channels during the 16th century. The upper alhambra is the area between the unirrigated area, the Garden of the Partal, and the Wine Gate.
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| Unirrigated area |
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| Tower of the Captive |
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NASRID PALACES: The Nasrid Palaces is a complex of palaces originally constructed and inhabited by Mohammed ben Al-Hamar in the thirteenth century. The “palaces” are made up of three major complexes, the Mexuar, the Comares/Yusuf I Palace, and the Palace of the Lions/Mohammed V.
The Mexaur, from the Arabic word maswar, meaning place where a counsel meets, is a large room decorated from the tastes of Yusuf I and Muhammad V. It originally had just one central body to its design; later an upper floor was added to transform the complex into a chapel. The Mexaur was simple but beautiful inside – intricate and delicate architecture with subtle and gorgeous coloring within the walls and designs.
The Comares/Yusuf I Palace is arguably the most imposing and important component of the Nasrid Palaces. It is made up of a complex of rooms joined around a courtyard (arraynes). The courtyard has two porticoes, and a large a-birka (pond), as well as aarayán hedges and marble basins.
This palace was the original and official residence of the sultan Yusuf I. The Comares/Yusuf I Palace is designed around this courtyard with unique components to each side. To the south are two floors with wooden lattice windows and to the north is the largest hall in La Alhambra call the Embajadores Hall, or throne hall.
The Palace of the Lions was built by Mohammed V and is made up of the private chambers of the royal family. It is known mainly for its exquisite beauty and unique geometric decoration with a central patio in the middle surrounded by seven galleries with columns, similar to a Christian cloister. The seven halls are the Hall of the Mocorabes, Hall of the Kings, Hall of the Two Sisters, Hall of the Ajimeces, Daraxa’s Mirador, Hall of the Abencerrajes, and the Harem.
CHARLES V PALACE: Charles V Palace was designed for the Emperor and his family purposefully next to La Alhambra so the Emperor could enjoy the beauty of La Alhambra. The architect was Pedro Machuca; he started work in 1527, but it wasn’t finished until 1957!
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| Charles V Palace ©alhambradegranada.org |
ALCAZABA: The Alcazaba is arguably the largest and most important component of La Alhambra. An alcazaba is a walled-fortification within a city; the Alcazaba within La Alhambra is one of the most famous in the world. The Alcazaba within La Alhambra served primarily as a military function as the royal guard of the Sultan. It is made up of walls and small roads, along with warehouses and hallways for soldiers.
They way up to the Alacazba, as well as the very top, had some really beautiful views of Granada.
The entire La Alhambra was amazing. We took so many pictures we couldn’t accurately place them later! The architecture, colors, designs, and structures were breathtaking.
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| Silly donkeys! |
When we exited the main area of the Alcazaba, we ran into one of those fun staging areas with characters and holes for their heads. This one was a historical depiction of three Arabs who lived and/or worked at La Alhambra. Despite my father’s objection, I got him (and the donkeys!) to pose!
After our extensive exploration of La Alhambra, we were invited to my father’s host family’s house for a meet and greet. Andy and I were excited to meet them; my father had spoken so highly of them and had learned a great deal from living with them while studying Spanish in Granada.
Pilar was my father’s host mother; she was kind and warm with a big personality and a clearly loving heart. She didn’t speak as much english as her son, Alvero, but she tried very hard and clearly developed a great familial relationship with my father. He was so grateful for the home she had given him. Alvaro was a young man who was intelligent, talkative, and kind. He and my father had established a great friendship and he was wonderfully encouraging and motivational for my father while he learned the tougher components of the Spanish language. My father was truly lucky and blessed to be placed in their home and get to experience Spanish culture through them.
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| Alvero and my father |
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| Alvero, my father, and Pilar |
To add to the list of Spanish fascinations, we had discovered in many restaurant and butchery windows these large pig legs (hoof complete) set upon a stand. We had learned from my father, as well as some locals, that most Spanish families had one of these on their counter. We didn’t quite believe it until we visited Pilar and Alvero. And…..there it was….a pig leg….on a stand….in their kitchen. It was wild!
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| Pig leg. On a stand. In the kitchen. |
Of course, Andy, being the meat-loving man that he is, politely asked if he could try it. Alvaro was generous and sliced off multiple slices for him; in the meantime, Pilar got him a Spanish beer. Alvaro clearly knew what he was doing. He indicated that an Iberian pig leg of this kind costs about €100 and can last for up to a year on your kitchen counter as long as you maintain it properly. He showed us that what he would do was cut off a large chunk of the top of the leg, and use that chunk as a “cover”; he would slice on from there but always replace the open meat with that original chunk. He also rubbed whatever meat was exposed with oil.
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| He was SO excited! |
We had to finally say goodbye to Pilar and Alvero and headed back to our hotel. The next morning (super early!) we check out of our hotel. On our way to Seville! Stay tuned!
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| Bittersweet! |