Picture a little town situated at the bottom of beautiful mountains. Its hilly, narrow streets are filled with tiny shops bustling with people, and everywhere you look is bursting with Arabian design and influence. This is Granada in a nutshell.
I spent last weekend in Granada and absolutely loved it. Granada (translates to Pomegranate) is entirely different than Sevilla, yet still filled with so much history and culture. Here are some highlights from the trip!
I spent last weekend in Granada and absolutely loved it. Granada (translates to Pomegranate) is entirely different than Sevilla, yet still filled with so much history and culture. Here are some highlights from the trip!
Flamenco Show
I thought I knew Flamenco before this, but I was wrong. API took our entire group to a Flamenco show high up on one of the mountains surrounding Granada, and it was nothing short of amazing. We entered this tiny, cavelike room, where chairs lined the outskirts. As you can see from the photos, we were inches away from the action. The flamenco group consisted of about 7 dancers and the live band. Flamenco itself is raw and powerful, but this group made it evident that they were having a blast, which made the audience enjoy it even more. I actually got pulled out of my seat to dance with one of the dancers for part of the show. Though I can't dance Flamenco I still had so much fun and it's certainly one of my favorite memories from the trip thus far.
Tour of La Alhambra
Without a doubt this was the most amazing part of my weekend in Granada. La Alhambra is a huge complex of castles surround by the Generalife gardens. As the most visited tourist attraction in all of Spain, it encounters 7,000 visitors each day. After visiting I can certainly understand why. Granada itself was originally inhabited by Muslims until the Christians conquered the city and forced them out. The Alhambra was almost entirely constructed under Muslim rule, which is evident by the design of the fortresses and gardens. It is situated high on a hill overlooking the rest of Granada, and every room was filled with exquisite detail.
Arab Baths
These.Were.So.Cool.
Some friends and I booked appointments for the Arabian Baths in Granada, having no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We got ourselves into a trip to a stunning, beautifully historic spa for only 25 Euro. Upon arrival we were whisked into a beautiful changing area (with heated floors!!) and then into the rooms with all of the different baths. The package we choose included a 15 minute massage (unreal), and an hour and a half in the baths. There were 4 in total ranging from freezing cold to hot-tub-like warmth. There was also an incredible steam room that made USC's sauna seem peasant-like. If you're ever in Granada I would highly recommend checking these out! It was such a fun, relaxing, and different experience!
Hamaam al Andalus Arab Baths
Some friends and I booked appointments for the Arabian Baths in Granada, having no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We got ourselves into a trip to a stunning, beautifully historic spa for only 25 Euro. Upon arrival we were whisked into a beautiful changing area (with heated floors!!) and then into the rooms with all of the different baths. The package we choose included a 15 minute massage (unreal), and an hour and a half in the baths. There were 4 in total ranging from freezing cold to hot-tub-like warmth. There was also an incredible steam room that made USC's sauna seem peasant-like. If you're ever in Granada I would highly recommend checking these out! It was such a fun, relaxing, and different experience!
Hamaam al Andalus Arab Baths
Tapas
History Lesson: Tapas originated in Granada where they used to use a plate with a small amount of food to cover drinks. Tapa…Top. Now, tapas are a huge part of Spanish culture and friends often go out to one or a few tapas bars and share a few of these small plates. Because tapas originated in Granada, they are still free with every drink you order (not the case in the rest of Spain). To take advantage of this some friends and I went for a few drinks at a restaurant called La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast), which is place known for its huge portions of tapas that get better with every round. Note: tapas are typically not this big! Usually they are very small plates with small amounts of food.
Mirador de San Nicolas
On our last day in Granada we decided to take the treck up a mountain for the best view of Alhambra that Granada has to offer. We spent a while climbing up to the Mirador de San Nicolas (lookout of St. Nick) and it was so unbelievably worth it. On our way back we got a little lost, and ended up on absolutely gorgeous side streets proving yet again that getting lost in Spain is usually a good thing. Here are some pictures from the view!