Our First Day in Granada and Visit to the Nasrid Palaces

After Valencia, our next stop was Granada. We flew into Malaga first, then hopped on a bus straight to Granada from there. By the time we rolled into the city it was around two in the afternoon. First things first we ducked into a Mercadona for a few essentials, then grabbed a taxi to our apartment. Getting there was honestly a bit of a puzzle, navigation wise, but the second we saw the place we were staying, all that hassle just melted away. Totally worth it. Before we did anything else, before even thinking about food or exploring we dumped our bags, unpacked and just tried to shake off the travel haze for a bit. I'd booked the apartment directly through the owners, a couple who actually manage a handful of other places around the neighborhood too. The room had a huge window, lovely bright lighting and a massive bed. Everything this time around was super proper and comfortable. They even left us shower gel and unlike our previous stay, there were no random holes in the floor, which was a huge relief for us.

The living room had this other huge window with a seriously fantastic view. The AC worked like an absolute dream, so after a bit we wandered out onto the terrace to take in the surroundings. The kitchen was fully stocked too and they'd left out fresh donuts waiting for us. Such a small thing, but it made a difference. Funny enough, our place was listed on Booking, but this exact room wasn't actually published anywhere on the platform. Similar apartments nearby were going for around 650 euros for five nights, so somehow I managed to snag this higher tier room for just 530. Not bad at all.

From the terrace, you could see three different churches and the roof of the Cathedral. Unfortunately Mount Sierra Nevada wasn't fully visible, but we were genuinely blown away when we found out those distant mountains that looked small from afar were actually 3500 meters high. The street we stayed on was lovely and there was even a bus line running right out front. On a normal day, you could easily just walk from the Mercadona supermarket. We figured we'd spend the rest of that day just taking it easy, some fresh shrimp, a bottle of wine, nothing fancy. Real sightseeing could wait until the next morning. So for now we just settled onto the terrace and let the evening unfold. And that sunset looked like something straight out of a Rembrandt painting. We just sat there watching it, not really saying much, just soaking it all in.

The next day we wandered off the main avenue and into the quiet back aleys running alongside it. The whole neighborhood felt like a traditional Arab quarter and honestly, you could feel that mix of cultures everywhere you turned in the tilework, the smells drifting out of doorways, little details like that. We poked around a few local craft shops, admiring things here and there, but held off on actually buying anything. No rush realy, we had five full days in Granada ahead of us, so there was plenty of time to come back later.

After that we started making our way up the hill toward Alhambra, the iconic emblem of Granada. We checked out both the free sections and the ticketed areas as we walked up. You really have to get your tickets way in advance. When I searched for tickets for the 10:30 am slot just a week prior, there were only four left. They were probably last minute cancellations too, because every single afternoon slot was already completely booked out.

We reached the entrance after a ten minute uphill walk. Timing it right was crucial because a pretty long queue had already built up at the gates. Security and ID checks at the entrance were super strict. Instead of just scanning the QR codes, they scanned our official IDs directly and went through our bags thoroughly.

Once through security, we stepped into the Nasrid Palaces section. The entire place had the refined, elegant atmosphere of an authentic Eastern palace. There were tour groups and people with audio guides walking around, but since we didn't have a map, we just explored and found our way organicaly.

Inside the palace we walked into a delicate white room with restoration scaffolding set up. You could hear the soothing sound of water flowing behind the scaffolding and the fountain paired with the view in the background was very beautiful. Stepping out into the inner courtyard, we saw plenty of visitors taking cover in the shaded spots to escape the heat.

The Alhambra complex first went up under Moorish rule back in the early 1200s, later passed into Christian hands and somehow thankfully survived all the way down to today. The Court of the Lions, with those slender columns everyone talks about, was hands down one of the finest pieces of Arab architecture we've ever seen in person. And the details the wall carvings, the ceiling work were just next level. We kept stopping every few steps just to look up.

You could catch gorgeous views of the old town through the small palace windows. The wooden woodwork on the ceilings and the way natural light filtered inside felt magical. From there, we walked toward the Courtyard of the Oranges. The thick fortress walls and watchtowers surrounding Alhambra really showed just how massive of a fortified city settlement this used to be back in the day.

As we kept walking through the complex, we ran into countless fountains and running water features. Thanks to the close proximity of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, freshwater flows abundantly throughout the entire city and palace grounds. After taking our time exploring the open areas, panoramic teraces and scenic viewpoints, we headed toward the Alcazaba section for the next part of our tour. I will share the rest of our Alhambra experience in my next post. Thanks for reading.