Granada Like a Local

The top-10 list for visiting Granada like a **true** local!

A holiday in Spain isn’t really possible right now due to COVID. But how lovely to daydream and imagine yourself in Granada! With tasty tapas on a terrace and the sun on your face… Hopefully it won’t stay a dream and we’ll all soon be healthy and able to visit this wonderful city again!

Alicante is a great city to live in or to visit for a few days. But if you’re planning to cruise through Spain, Granada is definitely recommended! This beautiful city lies about a 4.5-hour drive from Alicante. Along the way you’ll pass beautiful citrus groves and you can stop at a typical Spanish roadside restaurant to eat a tasty paella. You can consult TripAdvisor and visit the most touristy sights. But… Alicante Like a Local will take you to the places where only locals go, of course!

Granada’s center is about the size of Utrecht. The center consists of a new and an old part. Both parts are separated by the Gran Vía — the big street that runs right through the middle.

Tip 1: Alhambra

You can’t miss the Alhambra. Set aside a full day. In high season there are countless buses and lines of people. The best time to visit this magical palace with countless art treasures… UNESCO has set a maximum number of visitors. It’s therefore wise to book your visit in advance. You can arrange tickets via **this link**. There’s also the Generalife — the sultan’s summer palace and country house. Beautiful gardens with ponds and flowerbeds.

Tip 2: Skiing

Although it may sound strange to many people, you can ski perfectly well in southern Spain! From Granada it’s a 45-minute drive to the snow in the Sierra Nevada. Sometimes you’ll be standing on the slopes in a short-sleeved shirt, in the snow! The snow quality isn’t top-notch, but for beginners and families this region offers plenty of fun and enough pistes!

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Granada is from October through May. After that, city temperatures can rise above 40°C. Even though there’s air-con everywhere, the difference is so great not everyone can handle it well.

Where to stay

Granada has all kinds of lovely places to stay. Especially outside high season these are generally very affordable. But if you really want to go fancy, you can find plenty of beautiful spots in Granada too!

Super deluxe is the Senator Granada Spa Hotel. Through Booking.com and Airbnb there are loads of nice apartments to be found, often with parking and good locations. Much is within walking distance in Granada. If you stay near the **Catedral**, the key hotspots are all walkable.

Tip 3: Patio de los Perfumes

The name says it all. A patio with a shop next to it where you can make your own perfume. The patio is decorated in beautiful Spanish style. Worth popping in to buy some reed diffusers, try creams and — if you have lots of time and the budget — make your own perfume. The shop certainly isn’t cheap, but it smells divine! The patio is at Carrera del Darro 5. You’ll come across it when you walk along the river toward the north of the city next to the Alhambra.

Tip 4: Flamenco

If you want to experience a beautiful flamenco show in Spain, you’re in the right place in Granada. Seville is of course famous for it, but in Granada center you can find typical Spanish flamenco in the evening — especially if you go to the Albaicín district. The further you walk into the district (seen from Gran Vía), the more **tablaos de flamenco** you’ll find. A tablao is what we often call a “flamenco bar.” These performances often start fairly late. Don’t be surprised if a show only begins at 11 or 12 p.m.

Small tip: just be a little alert if you’re walking in these neighborhoods late at night. Spain/Granada looks cozy and friendly by day, but Granada also has districts best avoided. Don’t go exploring little alleys there at night.

Tapas, breakfast, and dining out

The Albaicín district is also very suitable for tapas in the evening. It seems like the inhabitants of Granada all eat out on weekend nights. Terraces are packed, bars filled with friends and families. And with every glass of beer you order, you get a tapa — a small piece of baguette with something tasty on top. “Tapa” comes from the verb **tapar**, which means “to cover.” Spaniards used to cover their glass of wine or beer with a tapa. Today everything that sits on a piece of baguette is called a tapa.

Tip 5: Where to eat tapas

If you want to sit truly among locals, walk out of **Calle Navas** — a street that appears in many tourist guides but is typically full of English visitors and restaurants whose staff smile as they hold out a menu with pictures. At the end of the street you’ll find **Rosario Valero**, a local tapas bar. Well, not just tapas — you can also order a solid plate you won’t finish alone, like a tasty salad or a good piece of meat!

Tip 6: Vegetarian without the “hair-shirt” vibe

I’m a real “reserve Spaniard” by now of course, so I won’t stop talking about food! Want something other than tapas and paella? Then definitely go to **Wild Food**. A beautifully modern restaurant with lots of tasty, affordable vegetarian dishes. No hair-shirt vibes — just trendy. Plaza Isabel La Católica number 5. A recommendation is their set menu: just pick a starter and a main with your eyes closed — it’s all good!

Tip 7: Breakfast

Spaniards generally have a cup of coffee and a **tostada** for breakfast — toast. But fancy a good shake, smoothie, pancakes, or a sandwich with avocado and chicken? Then find a table at the tiny spot **Ambrosia** Take Away Fruit. Grab fresh fruit for the road or a bag of fresh muffins.

Tip 8: San Agustín Market

Breakfast also works just fine at Mercado San Agustín around the corner. Feast your eyes on all the fresh fruit, fish, and meats prepared here. Or simply sit down at one of the many coffee bars. Order a **con leche** with a **tostada de jamón serrano**. Delicious… Ham slicing is an art in itself. Spain has specialists trained for this — not every market butcher attempts it.

In the Albaicín district you’ll mostly find tapas bars. Pizzerias and “regular” restaurants are more toward the new part of town — for example around the cozy city-hall square, **Plaza del Ayuntamiento**.

Tip 9: Shopping

Shoppers can really indulge in Granada. El Corte Inglés is right in the center, but the small shops and boutiques are even more fun. You’ll pass many of them on the way back from a walk to the **Mirador de San Nicolás** (a viewpoint over the whole city). You’ll come across all kinds of “Moorish” stalls there too, with leather bags in bright colors, harem pants, and of course Alhambra souvenirs. The center also has a Zara Home and other Spanish chains like Mango.

Tip 10: Parque de las Ciencias

This was one of the **most beautiful museums/parks** I’ve ever visited! So I’ll write a separate blog about it soon. A must with kids — truly educational for young and old! And wonderfully spacious. And affordable. Highly recommended. Set aside a full day for this high-tech park. In good weather the children can spend a large part of the time outdoors; and if it does rain, there’s so much to see inside! (Or if it’s too hot…)

Have you been to Granada? Got more tips? We’re all ears! Leave a comment at the bottom of this page!