The Alhambra
No visit to El Valle would be complete without an excursion to Granada to visit the magnificent Alhambra. Lying at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Andalucia's highest mountain range, is the city of Granada. about 40 minutes drive from the house. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is perched on the vantage point of La Sabika. It's life began as a fortress as early as the 9th Centuary, the Nasrids of the 13th-14th Centuries turned it into a fortress-palace complex leading to the 250 year prosperous rule of Al-Andalus. By the late 15th Century, economic decline, hedonism inside the Alhambra and a confused civil war over succession lead to the weakened last Nasrid ruler, Boabdil being captured by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Ferdinand. Boabdil fled to the Alpujarras, carrying with him 30,000 gold coins. At a hilltop outside the city, Boabdil looked back at his beloved Alhambra with a sigh.
Local legend has it that that during the expulsion of the Moors from Granada, a refugee buried his treasure in the vicinity of what is now the Casa de Luz. During dark, cold windy nights he is said to return to collect his treasure. In deed, during the restoration of the house, we found a hidden cellar, (minus the treasure), that no one knew existed. Luckily, the old Moor has not returned during the owners or any visitors stays... as far as we know.
It is recommended to book advanced tickets to the Alhambra, at any time of the year as numbers of visitors are strictly controlled.
http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio&popup=1
The Albaycin
The Albaycin is a warren of passage ways, alleys and tiny streets of the old Islamic Quarter, full of restaurants, tetarias and bars climbing up the hillside opposite the Alhambra across from the River Darro. Muslim ramparts, cisterns, gates, baths and fountains are incorporated into newer buildings. Mirador San Nicholas at the top of the Albaycin is a great place from which to view the Alhambra at sunset. There are a couple of bars and good restaurants which open later. We recommend to take a taxi from Plaza Nueva to get up to Mirador San Nicholas and walk down.
Sacromonte
Camino del Sacromonte leads from Cuesta del Chapiz up Sacromonte Hill, passing by caves dug into the hillsides which have been occupied by Gypsies since the 18th Centuary. It is difficult to find authentic flamenco but there are shows in the caves, some are better than others. The International Center of Gypsy studies offers flamenco shows with a stunning view of the floodlit Alhambra as a backdrop to the stage. Address below.
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF GIPSY STUDIES "LA CHUMBERA"
Camino del Sacromonte - Granada.
Fixed flamenco schedule: Saturdays at 8pm. Free entrance.
Tel.:34 958 248 115 and 34 958 248 202.
Federico Garcia Lorca- Huerta de San Vincente
Federico Garcia Lorca wrote some of his best known works, such as Blood Weddings or Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias, at the family residence in the countryside just outside Granada. The house and rose garden in the former orchard are now a museum where many of the poet's personal items, photographs, drawings, paintings and manuscripts can be seen.
Casa Museo Garcia Lorca
Calle Arabial
Granada
Other places of interest: This is not an exhaustive list, just some of our favorite places to visit.
Corral del Carbón: Originally an inn for merchants, later used as an inn for coal dealers and later a theater.
Baños Arabes on Carrra del Darro. Beauifully preserved Arab baths hidden away behind a deceptively small entrance.
Alcaiceria was the old muslim silk exchange. It is still interesting to look around but now is full of tourist shops.
Parque de las Ciencias is a well equiped science museum. Includes a wooly mammoth tusk found in the Padul Basin
http://www.parqueciencias.com/eng/