Spain 2014: Granada sights

by | May 11, 2014 | International Travel

Wednesday

We slept periodically on the various planes and buses so when we arrived into town around 5p we skipped a nap and went out exploring. First we headed to the Alhambra store to print out tickets for the next day, then to the nearby Royal Chapel of Granada. Some of the Easter floats were being prepared and the church itself was lovely.

wooden doorway   Iglesia del Sagrario

Mary float

The streets of the old town were charming in a variety of ways, from old details to street art.

tiled steps

 

charming square

scooter parking

Afterwards we made our way through El Albayzin, the old Moorish quarter. This lively district became our favorite with cafes and shops along the narrow winding streets and decorative doorways.

Iglesia de San José (?)  El Albayzín

El Albayzín doorway  barred window

El Albayzín   El Albayzín

Plaza San Gregorio

Our destination for sunset was Mirador de San Nicolas, the plaza famous for its view of the Alhambra across the valley. And that reputation is well deserved! There were various hawkers, groups of friends and photographers with tripods milling about which gave the square a lively atmosphere.

Alhambra at dusk

Alhambra panorama

Thursday

The Alhambra was our main objective for Thursday and will (deservedly) receive its own post. Later on that already full day we headed out in the early evening to see the small stone bridges along the Rio Darro.

Rio Darro

church tower  wooden doorway

The area was scenic and easy to walk, with lots of people enjoying the cooler evening air. Once we reached the end of the road, we wound our way up to Iglesia del Salvador for some photos and then onto a tapas place or two.

Iglesia del Salvador

Friday

Leandra has had good luck finding bargains in Spanish clothing stores, so most of Friday morning was spent in the downtown shopping district near our hotel. Eric had good luck at Zara while Leandra had good luck nearly everywhere else…

Granada

Thankfully we had extra room in our suitcases! Be advised that many places will ask for ID when using a credit card, so make sure you have it with you or you will end up needing to run back to the hotel (personal experience).

Later in the day we visited the large Granada Cathedral. An artist was painting in one corner, and we had several nooks to explore throughout the large (and chilly) space.

Granada Cathedral Granada Cathedral

Granada Cathedral  Granada Cathedral organ

Granada at night
Calle Puerta Real de España at night

As the photos attest, we walked all over Granada and found it to be a fun city with lots of different details to observe.

Tagged with: churches | Granada | Spain | Spain 2014

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