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I am going to Granada for the first time in the end of October.
Anything particular that you think that I should see?
Also my daughter is coming. She is into flamenco dancing (this is what got me into flamenco playing). She wants to do some intensive flamenco dance classes when we are there. Can anyone recommend a flamenco dance school?
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to Njål Bendixen)
If you’re able to get tickets to tour the Alhambra then that’s highly recommended. Visiting the Cathedral is also worthwhile. There’s lots of exploring to do. Take a walk along the Camino del Sacromente to see a lot of Flamenco tablaos and museums. The Mirador de San Nicholas is also a good spot, there’s generally buskers playing there and it provides a great view of the city below and the Alhambra across the river.
The school Carmen de las Cuevas in the Albaicín offers week long courses for dance, guitar and also Spanish. An added bonus to taking a course is she (you, too, if you took a guitar seminar) will meet other people that you can hang out with during your stay. Some students are on longer terms and can help show you around the old city.
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to Njål Bendixen)
I've never been but I have a dancer friend that has been going every summer for 10+ years. She studies at Carmen de las cuevas and swears by it. Obviously the Alhambra is mandatory.
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to Njål Bendixen)
Roam around albaicin, raise the stairs to the top of sacromonte, visit some luthiers(if you play guitar), visit some caves maybe in sacromonte. Granada has lots to offer. Also in october you might still catch some beach weather and can visit the coast, almunecar or salobrena for example. Granada is quite interesting place and has lots to offer.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to tele)
Tickets to the Alhambra come in several types. One is general admission to the fortress itself, access to the Renaissance palace of Carlos V, etc., but no admission to the crown jewel, the Nazrid palace, with its stunning Moorish decor. These tickets are readily available, and often touted by tourist guide agencies at very high prices.
A second category includes entrance to the Nazrid palace, at a stated time, and general admission to the fortress. They are 14 euros, but they are sold out for weeks or months in advance during the tourist season. They are for sale at this official site:
We got onto this site, and noticed that occasionally a ticket would pop up as available. After more than an hour we snagged a couple of tickets for the next day, with entry times a half hour apart. You can go in at one time, and wait a half hour or an hour for your companion to get in. Why the tickets pop up from time to time is a mystery to me.
Be sure to go to Bodegas Castañeda near the Plaza Nueva for tapas. It will be crowded at lunch and dinner, but it's worth a wait. When we shouldered our way into the main bar we saw a couple of tables with "reserved" signs on them, but I have never tried to reserve a place there. The main bar may be packed to the point you simply can't get in, but part of the alley next to the building, and an adjacent dining room belong the same business. The rest of the alley, and another dining room are not part of Bodegas Castañeda, but they're not that bad.
I noticed a lot of bad Tripadvisor reviews for restaurants near the Mirador San Nicolas. Then I noticed that most of them were written by Granada residents. Yes, the prices are high compared to other locations, for food that is not particularly special, but the views of the illuminated Alhambra at dusk and at night are magnificent, and the food is tolerable. Or you can eat at one of the cheaper places in the Plaza San Nicolas itself, and then sit on the wall and enjoy the view.
We stayed at the Alhambra Palace Hotel. It was well run, clean, in perfectly decent condition, and expensive. It's not as luxe as the Ritz or the Palace in Madrid, but it's not as expensive, either. We had one good dinner at the restaurant, and enjoyed the city view from the terrace while we had a drink. There are always taxis available, and they are cheap and honest.
A few years ago we stayed near the Alhambra at the Carmen de la Alcubilla del Caracol, a boutique operation in a Moorish house on the hill just below the walls of the Alhambra. I don't remember the price. Parking is a serious problem if you have a car, but driving in the older parts of town are definitely not for the novice. Just park the car and take a cab or the bus. The owner of the Carmen and his assistant were excellent hosts, the breakfast was nice, and the terrace has the same great view of the city and the mountains, snow capped much of the year.
I have also stayed at the Hotel Monjas del Carmen. It's decent, not expensive, just a few steps from the Plaza Nueva. There's a taxi stand in the Plaza Nueva, there are plenty of decent places to eat, it's not far from the Cathedral, and the roads to both the Alhambra and the Albaicin start from there, if you're up for walking.
Posts: 223
Joined: Mar. 17 2015
From: Virginia USA
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to Njål Bendixen)
Njai, you asked about flamenco schools for guitar and dance in July 2017, and the again in 2018. I Just wondered if you and your daughter did go to Spain. What city? I’ve been to Granada but not for guitar lessons. Can you share your experience with us? Thanks.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to tele)
I've been to both Granada and Cordoba several times over the years, the last time last year. I've never been treated rudely in either place.
There was one incident in Granada several years ago that was a bit strange. I took a taxi from the Alhambra to my hotel just off the Plaza Nueva. The driver acted a bit odd, asking me whether I knew the American gangster John Gotti, former boss of the Gambino Mafia family in New York. I said I didn't. The driver began to mumble to himself, then to repeat over and over, louder and loulder, "John A. Gotti, John A. Gotti,..."
This made it clear to me that he was wacked out on speed, but he was never rude.
A similar thing had happened a few years before in Phuket, Thailand, but the repeated name was our president at the time, George W. Bush. One expects the tuk-tuk (3-wheel taxi) drivers in Bangkok to be on speed, since they are controlled by gangsters and forced to work insanely long hours, but this was my first experience with a speed-addled driver in Phuket.
In each case I breathed a sigh of relief upon safe arrival at my hotel.
RE: Going to Granada first time (in reply to Njål Bendixen)
I've lived in and around Granada for close to six years and it is still my favourite city. Some locals do try to live up to the Malafollá tag (although it tends to be restricted to moaning about the weather being too hot/too cold) but I have always found it to be a warm and friendly place.
I must say, it is pretty normal in bars for customers to just shout what they want even if the barman is busy, so on occasions the bar staff will wait for you to speak or just glance at you rather than asking what you want. But if not, you'll usually get a "dígame" after a while! Nearly always very friendly once you get chatting though.
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