Granada is a city known for its cultural diversity. Once the last Muslim Emirate on the Iberian Peninsula, it's been home to Arabic and Jewish people, Tamazight tribes from North Africa, Roma families, and eventually the Catholics from Castile and Aragon. Their heritage is still visible in Granada, making it one of the most distinct cities in Spain.

Centro/Cathedral

Most sightseeing tours will start in the center of Granada, particularly the area around the Cathedral. The church itself dates back to the time right after the Catholic Reconquista. After the fall of the Emirate in 1442 and the death of Ferdinand II. in 1516, a small chapel was built and extended into a large cathedral from 1523 on. The building would be finished 180 years later, impressing visitors until today with its beautifully decorated walls, a high dome, two baroque organs, and the tower reaching 57 m into the sky.

(Cathedral of Granada and Plaza de las Pasiegas, Source: Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

In front of the cathedral, a sunny square, the Plaza de las Pasiegas, invites you to taste fresh coffee and tapas from a small croquette-specialized restaurant called Rollo. Here, you can sit on the tables outside or on the steps leading up to the church. Follow the small alleys leading away from the square on its southern edge. You will eventually reach Bib-Rambla, formerly part of the Muslim markets and today a big square that had been used for Christian processions, bullfights, and knight games under Spanish rule.

(Plaza de Bib-Rambla, Source: Martin Furtschegger, Wikimedia, CC BY 3.0)

Nowadays, Bib-Rambla is a famous meeting point for travelers and locals. There’s a wide variety of restaurants here, mostly offering Spanish food, local wine, and,of course, tapas. One of my favorites here is Los Diamantes, which is pleasantly casual, and as almost everywhere in Granada, the waiters will serve you complimentary snacks to your drink.

(Calle Alcaiceria)

South of the Cathedral of Granada, you can walk along the little street Calle Alcaiceria, where you will find plenty of shops with classic souvenirs ranging from magnets to castanets. Another alley, Calle Oficios, leads up to the main road again, passing a little gem, the Palacio de la Madraza, formerly the Islamic school of the Nasrids and today the university's cultural center.

(Palacio de la Madraza, Source: José Luis Filpo Cabana, Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0)

Take a look inside the Madraza de Granada to enjoy a glance at the Nasrid prayer room with the preciously decorated mihrab-niche. The horseshoe-arches, the marble ceiling as well as the arabesque ornaments present an impressive contrast to the mostly baroque-style facade dating back to the Spanish Epoque.

(Mercado San Agustín)

If this isn’t enough in the center around the Cathedral, you will also find quite a few modern shops, especially on Calle Mesones, and a range of bars and clubs, where you can go out at night. Most places are open until the early morning. For a late breakfast or lunch after the party, I recommend a visit to the market hall San Agustín, where you can buy meat and seafood from the counter to get it prepared right away.

East of Gran Via de Colón/Calle Elvira

The eastern side of Gran Via de Colón looks a lot different than the mostly Catholic area around the cathedral. You will encounter several Arabic fast-food places and Northern African restaurants. On Calle Elvira, you can find a lot of places with Moroccan 3- or 4-course meals, starting with small snacks like hummus and babaghanoush and culminating in exquisite beef tagines or couscous with roasted chicken.

(Moroccan Tagine, Source: BBouchra00, Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The arabesque decoration inside the restaurant is one of the main reasons to take a seat inside those places. You will be instantly transported into the times of the old Emirate or straight into Moroccan culture—those restaurants could also exist like this in Chefchaouen or Tétouan, the North African cities, the elite of old Al-Andalus escaped to.

(Inside Restaurante Teteria Riad Elvira)

If you turn east from Calle Elvira into Calle Caldereria Nueva, you will find a wide range of shops with mostly Arabic souvenirs, from Moroccan-style jumpers and pyjama pants to multi-coloured fanous lamps.

(Calle Elvira, Source: Curimedia, Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0)

Alhambra

(View onto Alhambra castle)

Alhambra, while not a neighbourhood by itself, is, of course, the biggest and most important landmark of Granada. It was the political and cultural center of the Al-Andalus Emirate and astonishes with its size and decorations. The detailed Arabic ornaments date more than 700 years back and the walls offer the most beautiful views over the city's center.

To explore Alhambra, you should plan for around 4–6 hours. You will have to book your ticket online and will most likely start in the Nasrid Palace, named after the last Muslim dynasty reigning over Granada from the 13th to the late 15th century. The palace is one of the masterpieces of Moorish architecture in Southern Spain, with impressive carvings, Stucco art, and beautiful water channels floating through the extensive orange and cypress tree gardens.

Remember to book your visit to Alhambra early enough in advance through the Alhambra website. It's best to even check two weeks before your arrival to be on the safe side. Choose a time slot for the Nasrid Palace in particular. For this part of the palace, you have to be at the gate on time. In all other areas of Alhambra, like Alcazaba and Generalife, you can stroll around all day long.

I very much recommend eating before or bringing some food to the palace. There are a few options on the square in front of the Alcazaba fortress, but all you will get here is overpriced Jamon sandwiches, beer, and coffee. There are no seats or tables. You can sit down on the walls and enjoy your snacks there.

Albaicin

Albaicin is the oldest district of Granada, a neighbourhood that stuns you with its picturesque small alleys, rising on the hill opposite Alhambra. Different from the mostly Renaissance and Baroque center, you will discover a more Arabic urban structure, labyrinthic alleyways, and hidden plazas with cute bars and restaurants.

(Source: Martin Furtschegger, Wikimedia, CC BY 3.0)

On top of Albaicin, you will find a few magnificent miradores, Spanish for viewpoints. My favorite is the Mirador de San Nicolás next to the chapel of the same name. On the square in front of the building, buskers perform their music and youngsters sit with supermarket-bought drinks on the walls.

(Mirador de San Nicolás)

From here, they observe the silhouette of Alhambra on the other side of the valley. The spot is also perfect to take a picture of the snow-capped mountains of Sierra Nevada just behind the Nasrid castle. There's also a few bars and restaurants next to the mirador, but ordering drinks on these exclusive balconies can be quite expensive

(View from Mirador de San Nicolás to Alhambra)

If you don't want to consume your supermarket wine, it's better to go to one of the beautiful squares further away from the viewpoint or sit down in one of the tavernas downhill at the bank of the Durro River.

Sacromonte

Sacromonte is located a bit further away from the center. Technically being a part of Albaicin, it used to be one of the poorest areas of Granada, where mostly Roma people and Moriscos (Muslims, who stayed in Andalucia after the Reconquista) resided.

Under the Spanish rule, Roma and Moriscos were discriminated against. Many of them were not allowed to settle inside the city walls. Sacromonte is an impressive heritage of this time and also tells a lot about the early development of flamenco culture.

I highly recommend visiting the Sacromonte Caves Museum, which displays a few restored rooms, in which the Roma people used to live. In the middle of those secluded caves, there is a large square, where the big celebrations, including flamenco dances used to take place.

Apart from the caves, there is a beautiful viewpoint looking at Alhambra in the distance, and a small café/restaurant. Along the main road, you will find a few more tavernas that serve classic local dishes and allow you to enjoy some vivacious flamenco dances.