During your time in Granada

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During your time in Granada

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The historical city of Granada: Muslim, Christian and Jewish.

Granada is a tourist city par excellence and this makes it an ideal destination. It boasts an incredible array of monuments and historical sites. Up until the end of the 15th century, it was the last stronghold of Islam in Western Europe. Indeed, the Alhambra and the Generalife (UNESCO World Heritage Sites) are symbols of the Islamic civilization’s splendour. Granada is also a Renaissance city: the Hospital Real and the Cathedral (where the Catholic Monarchs are interred) are just two examples of Granada’s well-preserved heritage.

With its exceptional geographical location, the city also offers a wide range of activities. However, the Alhambra is undoubtedly the most impressive feature of the city.

As an important cultural centre for centuries, the city now enjoys enviable cultural and leisure activities.

Film shows and festivals, music, and theatre are complemented with permanent and temporary exhibitions that cover all fields of knowledge.

There are Renaissance palaces hosting seminars and conferences, while, for the big events, a modern city infrastructure is in place.

Three theatre halls have a year-round programme of plays, opera, music concerts, and flamenco, to mention just a few activities, and the prestigious Granada City Orchestra has its own season in the Manuel de Falla auditorium.

  • The International Jazz Festival (October)
  • The International Magic Festival (November)
  • The International Music and Dance Festival (June and July)
  • The International Comic Show (February and March)
  • The International Organ Music Week (October and December)
  • The International Young Film Directors Festival (April)
  • The Classic Film Festival (January) are only some examples of this cultural hive of activity.

You will find some interesting information on the following sites:

Tourist office of the City Hall

Tourist board of the province

Alhambra Patronage

Tourist Regional Information

Granada is, first and foremost, a university city. It has a population of 240,000 people, 80,000 of which are students, lecturers, researchers and administrative and service staff directly linked to the UGR, meaning that a staggering 1 in every 3 inhabitants is directly linked to the university. As a result, a lively student atmosphere has flourished here, giving rise to the development of a modern, multicultural and vibrant study destination that welcomes people from all backgrounds

The city’s location is arguably unsurpassed in southern Europe. The highest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula, Mulhacén (3482 m), is located just 35km from the city, while the subtropical coast is just 65km away and can be reached by car in under an hour.

This means you can enjoy mountain sports like skiing and snowboarding and bathe in the Mediterranean Sea all in the same day.

The towns and villages dotting this coast, such as Motril, Salobreña and Almuñecar, offer scenic beaches and exceptional weather throughout the year.

Today, Granada is a city that strives to preserve its historical past while, at the same time, adapting to the same challenges currently faced by cities everywhere: modernising its infrastructure, traffic, public services, etc. Its economy is based principally on the services sector, tourism and, of course, its university.

The 13,000 square kilometres of the province of Granada contain an unimaginable number and range of tourist attractions At any time of the year visitors can choose from the widest variety of ways to occupy their leisure time: visiting historical and artistic monuments, spending the night at the small hotels in the many villages dotted along the small back lanes and tracks that form a rural tourism network in the hills and mountains, skiing or taking part in the other sports on offer at the ski resort, as well as other open-air activities or just relaxing on the beach down by the coast.

For those who prefer the peace of the countryside to the bustle of city life there are six nature reserves, including the Sierra Nevada National Park. The foothills to the south of the Sierra Nevada, known as the Alpujarras, form an area of rugged natural beauty, with villages dating back to the Middle Ages. With its dramatic scenery, temperate climate, and complete peace and quiet, visitors often find it difficult to leave.

Further inland, the area of the Marquesado and the high plateau provide landscapes that are in stark contrast to those of the Alpujarras. And in the westernmost parts of the province there are still many interesting ruins from the times of the Muslim kingdom and its fortresses, when this was the frontier between Granada and the Christian provinces to the west.