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Granada · History

From the Zirids to Lorca: a thousand years of Granada

This route walks down from the Albaicín to the city centre, following the thread of history: Zirid Granada in the eleventh century, the Nasrid kingdom, the surrender of 1492 and what it meant for the Moriscos, and the twentieth-century city where Federico García Lorca was born and died. It starts with a good climb and ends on the flat, close to the café tables of the Campillo.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.7 km
  • 2 h 15 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Crenellated reddish rammed-earth tower with a stone horseshoe arch, the Elvira Gate in Granada

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Elvira Gate (Puerta de Elvira)The great entrance to Islamic Granada, crossed by caravans, ambassadors and conquerors for almost a thousand years.
  2. 2 Arco de las Pesas and Plaza LargaA bent Zirid gateway at the top of the Morisco Albaicín, with a name that hints at rigged scales.
  3. 3 El BañueloOne of the best-preserved Arab bathhouses in Spain, hidden behind a humble facade by the river Darro.
  4. 4 Monument to the Capitulations of Santa FeIsabella the Catholic listens to Columbus in bronze, on the square where Granada remembers the year that changed everything.
  5. 5 Royal Chapel (Capilla Real)Isabella and Ferdinand chose Granada, their final conquest, as their resting place for eternity.
  6. 6 Plaza del Campillo: Lorca’s RinconcilloIn the corner of a café on this square, a young García Lorca shared verses and plans with his friends.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From the Zirids to Lorca: a thousand years of Granada

Before the Alhambra

The Elvira Gate, the Arco de las Pesas and the Bañuelo all date from the eleventh century: the city of the Zirids, older than the Nasrid palaces.

1492, without the myths

The Capitulations of Granada and of Santa Fe, the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs and what happened next to the Muslims who stayed.

Lorca’s Granada

The route ends on the square where El Rinconcillo, the young poet’s circle of friends, used to meet, with a sober reminder of his murder in 1936.

Keep exploring

More routes in Granada

Back to Granada
Mysteries & legendsLegends in the shadow of the Alhambra MixedGranada highlights: from the cathedral to the viewpoint

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Granada?

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.

1

Granada in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Granada in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Granada in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary