A Nasrid kingdom, the year that changed everything, and legends in the shadow of the Alhambra.
Granada was the capital of the last Muslim kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, and its surrender in January 1492 opened a year that changed the history of Spain and the Americas. That memory is still in plain sight: in the Zirid gates of the Albaicín, in the burial chapel of the Catholic Monarchs and in the legends Washington Irving made famous. Three free walking tours to explore it on foot, at your own pace.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
An eleventh-century gate, an Arab bathhouse by the river, the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs and the café where a young Lorca read his verses.
A hand waiting to reach a key, the writer who filled the Alhambra with princesses, a cross that grants favours and a gate named after severed ears.
The cathedral, the silk bazaar, a Nasrid inn, a square built over a river and the most famous view of the Alhambra.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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Itineraries
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Tender broad beans from the Vega, sautéed with cured ham in olive oil: a simple dish that is at its best in spring. At Los Manueles, a restaurant with more than a century of history near Plaza Nueva, people order it alongside the house’s other speciality, the Sacromonte omelette.
Where to try it
The fish comes from Granada’s coast and is fried to order: prawns, anchovies, squid. At Los Diamantes, a classic on calle Navas since the mid-twentieth century, you eat it standing at the bar, always with fried aubergines, which in Granada often come drizzled with cane honey.
Where to try it
Granada’s signature omelette is made with lamb brains and testicles, sometimes with peas, potato or ham, and its origins are linked to the Sacromonte quarter. Chikito, in the building of the old Café Alameda where Lorca’s circle used to meet, keeps it on the menu.
Where to try it
In Granada, every beer, glass of wine or soft drink usually comes with a free tapa: a small sandwich, cured meats, a little stew. At Bodegas Castañeda, among barrels and hanging hams, pair it with their calicasas, a blend of house wines served ice-cold.
Where to try it
A small cylinder of sponge cake soaked in syrup and crowned with toasted cream. It was born in Santa Fe, a few kilometres away, and its name honours Pope Pius IX; tradition credits its invention to the pastry cook Ceferino Isla in the late nineteenth century. Casa Ysla has a shop near Bib-Rambla: perfect for an afternoon treat.
Where to try it
Calle Calderería Nueva, which climbs from calle Elvira up to the Albaicín, has been lined with Moroccan-style tea houses for decades. A mint tea and a few almond pastries make the perfect break between one steep street and the next, or a lovely way to round off the afternoon.
Where to try it
Granada’s classic breakfast: freshly made churros and thick hot chocolate for dipping. The Gran Café Bib-Rambla, on the square of the same name, proudly claims to have served them since 1907.
Where to try it