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Richard Jernigan -> RE: Going to Granada first time (Oct. 6 2018 21:59:18)
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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:
https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/
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.
Have a good trip!
RNJ
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