Granada in 10 essential experiences
Diving, tasting, learning, skiing and even flying. we tour Grenade to appreciate it in its fullness thanks to ten experiences. Because traveling with capital letters means much more than uploading photos to Instagram. Come with us to fully experience the province of Granada.
FLOAT IN A BALLOON THROUGH THE GORAFE DESERT
Can you imagine that someone kneels before you, asks you the question and offers you a ring 600 meters high? This is what has happened more than once to the Glovento Sur team, a company from Granada that offers the possibility of travel in a balloon individually, in groups or, of course, as a couple.
Of course, it is not necessary for that special day to arrive to enjoy the experience: if the weather allows it, any day is good to fly.
"The feeling of floating is quite special," says Miguel Juliá, who, in addition to being one of the company's managers, also pilots the balloons.
Gorafe desert, in the surroundings of Guadix, it is one of the most suitable enclaves to enjoy the heights. Where today there is a dry land, there was once a lake and its sediments are now modeled by water and wind, which create a unique landscape based on gullies and spectacular mountain formations.
There is also the option of fly over the city of Granada , as well as places like Ronda or Antequera . However, "the trip through the skies of Guadix is the most recommended," says Juliá. It is also a great opportunity to see from the air the famous cave houses of the town where, why not, you can rest one night after the balloon flight. _(Trip price: from 165 euros) _.
In a balloon and from the air, the Gorafe desert at your feet
SAVOR THE ALHAMBRA
Few new words can be dedicated to the monument among monuments, to the place where travelers from all over the world have been making pilgrimages since before tourism was invented.
The Alhambra has always been "that magic word that in the mind of the English constitutes the summary and substance of Granada" , as Richard Ford wrote.
Before him, at the beginning of the 19th century, romantic travelers such as Washington Irving, one of the people who fought the most for its conservation. He was followed, among others, Téophile Gautier or Josephine de Brinckmann , at a time when the Nasrid enclosure was far from being what it is today: so much so that he was greatly surprised when he saw the locals trading in the rubble that fell from the building.
Today, luckily, the only way to take a piece of the Alhambra with you is to do it in the form of **the biscuits that Margarita Núñez makes** inspired by arabesques, such as the ceramics of Ángel Vera.
Visiting the monument is already a little less romantic than it was two centuries ago because more than 8,000 people pass through it every day (2.7 million in all of 2017). Still, there is Few sensations like strolling through its gardens and towers, leisurely exploring its rooms and patios. And, of course, feel part of a story that will be unique forever.
"That magic word that in the minds of the English constitutes the summary and substance of Granada"
TOUR OF THE CAHORROS DE MONACHIL
Those who enjoy getting up early to go hiking have a paradise in Granada. All Sierra Nevada Natural Park is full of routes, many of them by the region of La Alpujarra uniting each and every one of the towns in the area.
Some are gathered in sulayr, a route that takes the Arabic name of the place that runs in a circular way along 300 kilometers.
Other options are more unknown and, nevertheless, they are quite an experience. One of the most recommended is the one that goes through the so-called Cahorros de Monachil, canyons that the river of the same name has been excavating patiently for thousands of years.
A footbridge has recently been built so that the route starts in the town of Monachil itself, so access is more than easy. From there, stairs, huge walls, narrow limestone alleys and wonderful suspension bridges they are part of a journey that, despite what it may seem, is suitable for the whole family as long as the necessary precautions are taken.
It is also an ideal place to practice climbing thanks to its numerous via ferrata, which brings climbers from all over the planet there. Next to the route is the Merendero San Garrito, perfect to regain strength at the end of the walk based on local products.
Feet, what do I want you for?
LEARNING SCIENCE AS A FAMILY
From the human body to the Biosphere, from Al-Andalus to the advances in science. One of the most interesting places in Granada is, without a doubt, the Science Park _(Avenida de la Ciencia s/n) _.
It seems like a place made to measure for schoolchildren, but nothing is further from reality: its exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and experiments They are suitable for curious people of all ages.
There is so much to do, see and touch that time flies by there, as they do the birds of prey or the many specimens that are in the mariposiario.
The planetarium is one of the most attractive places thanks to the possibility of travel the universe over 7,000 stars, but Granada's Science Park offers so much that it makes you want to repeat it over and over again.
A ROMANTIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE ALPUJARRA
Since there are not two without three, the appointment of Capileira and Pampaneira among the most beautiful villages in Spain in 2017 has been accompanied by that of bubion in 2018.
located in full Poqueira Ravine, this trio of towns separated by just a few kilometers are a safe bet for the Alpujarra initiation based on excellent landscapes, walks through streets crossed by ditches, almost endemic architectural postcards and a gastronomy where spooning is elevated to its maximum expression.
From there you can follow in the footsteps of Pedro Antonio de Alarcón by Órgiva and the Sierra de La Contraviesa or Gerald Brenan's for gray Yegen, a town that the British Hispanist likened to a painting by Braque.
They did it on foot or by mule, but now that there are roads, the route can also be enjoyed by car. Although it is worth forgetting the vehicle (and the mobile) to enter the trails, villages and viewpoints that make up the infinite possible Alpujarras. As many as each traveler creates with his footsteps on a land where the past lives on, tradition throbs and the present looks to the future with its head held high.
The romance of getting lost in these streets
GO TO A CONCERT
The live music It is another of the experiences that must be included in any visit to Granada, which is called The City of Rock for a reason.
In fact, it even has a rock route that runs through stores to buy records, tapas in musical joints or visit the Joe Strummer square.
However, the key is the rooms. One of the most classic is Low level _(Calle Horno de Abad, 11) _, as is the Industrial Cup _(Desmond Tutu Street, Plot 13) _ without forgetting The train _(Ctra. de Málaga, 136) _.
In all of them it is relatively common to see the groups that the city itself generates play as a quarry, from Los Planetas and Mutant Children to Apartamentos Acapulco or Koel.
Festival In Orbit
In total they are more than half a thousand premises, spaces and buildings where concerts are held throughout the Granada capital, according to the Concerts in Granada website. In fact, surfing through its programming, it seems that the difficult thing in the city is to find a bar without live music.
If you still want more, another experience is to enjoy good flamenco in one of the caves of Sacromonte where, they say, Morente's voice still resonates.
For the faithful of the festivals, Granada has two: ** En Órbita during the spring and Granada Sound to say goodbye to the summer.**
PRACTICE THE MAJORITY LOCAL SPORT: TAPEO
We already told you about the gastronomic routes organized by the Spain Food Sherpas team, also about the places where Granada musicians brew beer and, also, the bars where Granadans have tapas.
However, Granada is much more. That is why it is more than advisable to practice the local favorite sport: go for tapas
There are always new places, old classics to visit and places to return to.
Get lost in the Albaicín to eat some snails in the Aliatar square, stroll around the area around the bullring in search of ** Los Pescadores ** _(Doctor Pareja Yébenes street, 9) _ and ** El Nido del Búho ** (Doctor Pareja Yébenes street, 10), let yourself be surprised by the neighborhood of Realejo and take the penultimate in the Prince's Field...
All roads lead to a tapa in Granada! Also, if you want, the British blogger ** Molly Sears 'Piccavey' can accompany you to tell you some of the secrets of each bite ** or get you a photographer to take the perfect photos so that your visit to Granada is a triumph in social networks.
In Granada tapas is like this
SIERRA NEVADA, THE PLAN THAT NEVER FAILS
The Sierra Nevada ski resort is one of the places to visit yes or yes when you want to get to know the province of Granada in depth.
Beyond going down El Río, going around the Peñón de Dílar or going down the slopes of Pico Veleta, the place offers opportunities to very different experiences.
Astronomical observation workshops, racket rides, night skiing and even the possibility of drive one of the snowplows that are used to leave each ski route in optimal condition.
The options are more than varied. And if it fits, from April 13 to 15 the music also reaches the highest peak of the Iberian Peninsula. The sierra hosts the ** Sun and Snow festival on those days,** in which there will be concerts and many other activities that will serve to celebrate that the spring sun is letting itself be noticed and to say goodbye to the snow until next autumn.
Sierra Nevada, the plan that never fails
PRACTICE CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING IN PUERTO DE LA RAGUA
Less known, but also located in the Sierra Nevada National Park, the recreational station of Puerto de la Ragua is the right place to love the snow without fear of slopes and speeds.
Halfway between Granada and Almería and at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, this space has three tracks for cross-country skiing, two of them of low difficulty and accessible to anyone.
right there you can rent, for 13 euros, the complete equipment and, from there, it is quite an experience to learn how to navigate the trails in the area.
For the more adventurous there is the option of practicing the extreme skiing and for the less daring there is also room for family fun in the form of toboggan run
And if it doesn't snow, there is no drama. The place is also a starting point for numerous hiking trails like the ones that come to Cerro del Almírez and the Morrón del Mediodía or the peak of Chullo , the roof of Almería with something more than 2,600 meters high. Some of them are also suitable for mountain bikes.
Quality bathrooms on the Costa Tropical
LIVE THE TROPICAL COAST
Although it sounds like music, The Rijana It is a paradisiacal corner of the Granada coast. Turquoise waters, rocks and cliffs are some of the ingredients of one of the most attractive beaches in the province, almost hidden at the foot of National Highway 340.
But the Costa Tropical of Granada offers many more quality baths thanks to Almuñécar, Salobreña or Castell de Ferro. And on the border with Malaga, the area of Horseshoe It is perfect for diving and Cantarriján for the practice of nudism.
In Motril you should not miss **the tasty dried octopus at the El Paso bar ** _(Calle Antilla, 43) _, a gastronomic delight, as are the tropical fruits that, like mango or avocado, give color and flavor to any dish.
Of course, worthy in themselves of a trip to this coastal city are the as already mythical shrimps that have become famous in a thousand and one restaurants with Michelin stars. What could be better than trying them at your home in Motril?
And what better way to end the tasting than a mojito based on Montero rum elaborated, also, in Motril.
Granada, I have to say more