Granada is a magical place.  The castles, cobblestone streets, and snow-covered mountains enchant.  Not to mention the best thing ever, free tapas in all the bars!  Every time you order a glass of wine or beer, a new plate of food shows up.  We ate a lot of tapas – potato salad, “bacalao,” “jamon,” many varieties of charcuterie on bread, little fish… it was endless.  There are restaurants on every corner, and all are full late into the night.

The Spanish love going out; staying up late is part of the culture.  What happens is every day people wake up, and go to work at a normal time in the morning, then in the afternoon go home and take a “siesta.”  After some sleep, everyone goes out for tapas after 9pm and stays out until midnight (or later).  You finish the night with churros and hot chocolate, then wake up and do it all again.

The food is good, the wine is good, the people are friendly.  Granada is a great place.

The main attraction in Granada is Alhambra, a super impressive fortress overlooking the city.  Originally built by the Moors, the complex was a palace for many sultans and kings of various empires.  All the walls are intricately carved in Islamic-style geometric patters which took centuries to complete.  It took many hours for us to explore the several different buildings, castles, sanctuaries, and colorful gardens.

Another awesome place in Granada is the area Sacremonte.  Situated in the hills at the edge of the city, the neighborhood is a collection of houses built inside of caves.

Occupied by a lot of gypsies and hippies, the houses are also home to many famous flamenco clubs.

Flamenco in the streets

It’s also amazing how quickly you can leave Granada and be in the wilderness.  We walked from our hostel in the center to the caves in only 30 minutes, seeing nothing behind them but forest and the mountains in the distance.  Hiking, skiing, and many other outdoors adventures are in close proximity!  What’s not to love about it?

                                                         Anti-bullfighting street art