Last updated on June 15, 2026
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.
In front of the cathedral, a sunny square, the Plaza de las Pasiegas, invites you to taste fresh coffee and all kinds of food presented by a group called Los Manueles. It runs a slightly pricey Spanish food bar near the cathedral called La Taberna Desde 1917 and a vegetarian/vegan place named UVE next door. The food in UVE is more fusion and creative, with an Asian touch. In both spots, you can sit at 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.
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 with your drink.
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.
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, and the arabesque ornaments present an impressive contrast to the mostly Baroque-style facade dating back to the Spanish epoch.
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.
Calle Elvira and Calle Calderería Nueva
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 and Calle Calderería leading up the hill, you can find a lot of places with Moroccan 3- or 4-course meals, starting with small snacks like hummus and baba ghanoush and culminating in exquisite beef tagines or couscous with roasted chicken.
The arabesque decoration in restaurants like Teteria Riad Elvira or Teteria Dar Ziryab 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.
If you turn east from Calle Elvira into Calle Calderería 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.
Alhambra
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 back more than 700 years, 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 jamón sandwiches, beer, and coffee. There are no seats or tables. You can sit down on the walls and enjoy your snacks there.
Albaicín
Albaicín is the oldest district of Granada, a district 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.
On top of Albaicín, 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.
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 the Sierra Nevada just behind the Nasrid castle. There are also a few bars and restaurants next to the mirador, but ordering drinks on exclusive terraces like El Huerto de Juan Ranas or El Balcón can be quite expensive.
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, to places like Casa Pasteles and Bar La Higuera, or sit down in one of the tavernas downhill at the bank of the Darro River.
An even more appealing alternative is Mirador San Miguel, which sits slightly higher than Mirador de San Nicolás. There's a bit more space here, making it less crowded. If the walls in front of the small chapel at the summit are already full, you can simply spread out on the hillside overlooking Sacromonte and enjoy spectacular sunsets.
As Granada's highest viewpoint, it also offers panoramic views of the entire historic center, the Alhambra, and the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Getting there is easy, either on foot or by taking bus N9.
Realejo
Realejo is the quarter that is situated right on the green hills below Alhambra. Back in the days of Al-Andalus, it was the Jewish population that lived here. The district was known as Garnata al-Yahud, the Granada of the Jews. Following the Reconquista, this group was also expelled and pushed to Northern Africa. Garnata al-Yahud became Realejo, a reference to the Catholic kingdom.
Until today, Realejo holds classic features of the Arab times, especially the small little alleys winding up the hill. Walking around here is a bit more comfortable than in more touristy areas. It feels a bit calmer and relaxed. Sometimes, you find a few spots from where you can adore the Alhambra walls as well as the snowy mountains of Sierra Nevada.
The heart of Realejo is Campo del Príncipe, a lively square with a lot of green and some tapas bars on top of a former Moorish cemetery. Right at this spot, there's the School of Architecture. In my opinion, this is a secret gem. Inside you can walk through the idyllic study yards and visit the hidden cafeteria for cheap beer and food. You have to go to the very end, down into the basement, and there it is, consisting of an inside area and a little garden.
What I noticed in Realejo compared to other districts in Granada is the wider availability of vegetarian food, even inside the architecture school's canteen. Outside of the university, you can find some vegan versions too, for example, El Piano and Hicuri.
Both restaurants, Piano and Hicuri, are situated near Plaza Realejo and Plaza de Santo Domingo. Those areas are also famous for classic tapas. If you don't just want to sit on the square, you can also visit the nearby church. The mostly Gothic church Santo Domingo is one of the highlights of Realejo.
Another feature of Realejo is graffiti. Street art is all around in the smaller streets. Some of the murals I found in the side alleys of Calle Santiago. Apart from that, I could also spot some paintings higher up, overlooking the tiled roofs and pointing towards the center. The murals here decorate the mostly white walls in the neighbourhood.
Sacromonte
Sacromonte is located a bit further away from the center. Technically being a part of Albaicín, it used to be one of the poorest areas of Granada, where mostly Roma people and Moriscos (Muslims who stayed in Andalucía 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. One popular location for such performances is Zambra Maria la Canastera. Not far away from there, you can watch the shows accompanied by amazing views in Casa Juanillo.
Camino de Ronda
The area around Camino de Ronda is one of the secret gems in Granada's culinary and nightlife, especially since you can find significantly cheaper options and authentic tapas. While the center and more touristic districts in Granada can be extremely expensive, next to the university, you get much better deals. Often you will find beer for 1 euro, or 1.80 euros with a tapa. Sometimes, it also costs a bit more.
To start an evening here, you can head to the Plaza de Gracia first. There you can find tables and chairs under palm trees, being served by the surrounding restaurants. From here, you might want to continue to the smaller streets and alleys with tapas bars, for example, on Calle Martínez Campos. One place I can recommend in this area is Las Buenas Juntas, with unbelievably economic deals. On the Camino de Ronda itself, Bar Kimmy has become a real hot spot with an exciting focus on Asian snacks like Gyoza.
If you prefer Spanish flavours, you should go to Calle Gonzales Gallas right next to the Science Faculty of the University of Granada. In the evening, the street fills up with people and lively tapas bars. One of the most popular places is Café Bar Garden, which quickly fills up with students in the afternoon. Similar vibes welcome you in D’Kanas and in Grifos y Tapas.
One of the most famous restaurants at the moment is El Peruano, where you get unusually big portions of tapas for a drink of 4-4.5 euros. The name says it all, by the way. Look forward to tapas with a Peruvian twist.
