WHAT TO DO IN GRANADA: DAY ONE
DAY ONE - EXPLORING GRANADA
If you are planning to spend several days in Granada, it is probably a good idea to spend the first day exploring to get your bearings. Granada is a small city and everything is within easy walking distance. There is also a good bus service and taxis are not expensive.
DAY ONE explores Granada in the morning, the Albaicín in the afternoon and the Albaicín and Sacromonte in the evening. I have included suggestions for where to eat and drink (5 tapas bars, restaurants, cake shops, icecream parlours, cocktail bars and a disco) and also a flamenco show for the evening's entertainment.
DAY ONE: MORNING
Head to the Pasteleria López Mezquita on Calle Reyes Católicos for a traditional Granadan breakfast: tostada con tomate, café y zumo.
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Another way to see Granada and learn about the history is to join a guided walking tour. There are many on offer but the one I recommend is the Granada Must-Do Tour. The tour starts at 10:30 and takes about 2 hours. The places you will visit include the Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Madraza, Alcaicería (the old Silk Market) and entrance tickets are included in the price. It is a good idea to book your tickets in advance.
Click here to book a tour.
Granada is a small city and so it is relatively easy to get about and explore on foot. However, it is fairly hilly particularly in the old Albaicín part of town so if you prefer, you always catch the tourist train (see below).
Start from outside the Corral de Carbón and walk up to Plaza Nueva to continue this circular walking route.
Click here for info about the route.
Click here for the route.
To help you get your bearings, it's a good idea to visit the tourist office for a map and information about things to see and do while you are in Granada. If you are walking, it's a short walk. Just walk through Plaza Nueva and then up the steps just before the church.
Click here for a map.
A more leisurely way to explore Granada is to buy a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off tourist train. Tickets are valid for one or two days and they can either be purchased in advance or directly at the bus stop. There is a daytime route and a slightly shorter nighttime route and it leaves from Plaza Nueva.
Click here for more info.
DAY ONE: LUNCH
The walk finishes in Plaza Bib Rambla and the tourist bus stops nearby so for lunch, the restaurant El Cepillo in Plaza Pescadería is a good choice. It offers a cheap set menu which is different each day or you can order from the menu. There are tables directly outside or indoors if the weather is not so good.
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The Cunini restaurant is next door to El Cepillo and offers delicious tapas or a more formal meal. The restaurant is famous for its fish dishes and renowned for its paella. There is plenty of space at the bar and tables inside or you can also choose to sit outside.
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If you don't feel like a large meal in the middle of the day or tapas, then another possibility is to go to a bar and order a "bocadillo" which is like a long filled roll.
Many bars will prepare bocadillos but one of the best is Bar Casa de Todos, otherwise known as the Bar of the 1001 sandwiches. The bar is small but the waiters are very friendly.
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DAY ONE: AFTERNOON
Granada cathedral took over 150 years to build and it is an impressive building. It was built on the site of one of the main former mosques and is located next to the Royal Chapel where King Fernando, Queen Isabel, King Felipe and Queen Juana "La Loca" are buried. Both the Cathedral and Royal Chapel are well worth a visit.
Click here for more info about the cathedral.
Click here for more info about the Royal Chapel.
Click here to see photos of the cathedral.
One of the most famous places for ice cream in Granada is Los Italianos on the Gran Via. It is open in the spring and summer and very popular with Granadians and tourists alike. The speciality of the house is cassata.
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A great place to spend some time in the evening is the Mirador San Nicolas, particularly when the sun is on the point of going down. There is a lively atmosphere with people selling jewelery and street musicians and dancers.
From the Calle Elvira, head up Calle Calderería Nueva. This is where are the souvenir shops and teashops are to be found.
Alternatively, if you don't fancy walking you can catch the C1 bus from Plaza Nueva.
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Just behind Plaza San Nicolás is Plaza Larga. Here you can find the famous Casa Pasteles which sells homemade cakes and icecream.
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There is a children's playground in the Albaicín next to Pilar Seco. It has the most fantastic views of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada. It's in Calle Isabel la Real, just above the car park
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DAY ONE: EVENING
If you walk up the narrow Calle Agua from Plaza Larga and turn left at the top, you will come to first tapas bar.
Casa Torcuato - Calle Pagés - outside seats
Los Mascarones - Calle Pagés
Bar El Higo - Calle Horno del Hoyo - garden
Bar Aliatar - Plaza Aliatar
Bar La Fragua - Calle Panaderos
The Restaurante Mirador de Moraymar can be found in a traditional "Carmen" in the Albaícin. A Carmen is a typical Albaicín house with walled garden and views of the Alhambra. The restaurant has number of eating spaces, private rooms and an outside garden with Alhambra views. The menu is varied and includes traditional Spanish food and Moorish-inspired dishes.
The restaurant Jardines de Zoraya puts on two flamenco shows each day. It is open all year and in the summer it's great to sit outside in the garden and watch a performance. You can choose either to have a drink and tapas or a meal. The price of the meal is reasonable.
Book your tickets here
Click here for more info.
Just below the Mirador San Nicolás is the Cocktail Garden Las Tomasas. It is a great place to have a relaxing drink and has gardens and views of the Alhambra. It is open until 23:30 in the winter and 00:00 in the summer.
The Discoteca El Camborio is a late-night disco on the Camino de Sacromonte. It has various caves and roof terraces with fantastic views of the Alhambra and it is a good place to go if you fancy a dance and a drink. It is open Thursday-Sunday from around 22:00 until late.
