I may be a little biased, but Albaicin in Granada might be just my favourite place in Southern Spain.
At the time of writing, I just came back from my sixth (yes that’s right!) trip to Granada and was surprised to discover even more stunning locations and beautiful places – and one of them prominently featured in this article.
Let’s skip to the chase – you are here to discover the best places to watch a sunset in Albaicin!
As a seasoned Granada expert, I’ve witnessed my fair share of beautiful sunsets and in this article compiled a selection of the best options.
If you only have time to make it to one sunset in Albaicin, make sure you choose number four in favour of number one.
Mirador St Nicholas might be well known, but it is equally crowded and I don’t think you will enjoy it as much as my personal favourite at number four!
Let’s check them out!
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Where to Watch Sunset in Granada
If you’ve never been to Granada before, you might think that any elevated spot is great for watching a sunset, and you couldn’t be more wrong.
Granada has a unique landscape, with only the Albaicin – or the old town – and Sacromonte district (the gypsy cave district) being elevated high enough to give you a stunning view of the famous Alhambra and the rest of the city.
Downtown Granada is pretty flat, and Albaicin is also strategically located directly opposite the Alhambra, so you will get not only a beautiful view of the sun gliding behind the horizon, but also witness the Alhambra basking in the golden glow of the sunset.
Remember that the sunset location will depend also on the season and time of the year, so you will get a very different experience in the summer vs in the winter.
7 Best Albaicin Sunset Locations
Here are my top picks for watching sunset in Albaicin, with their address below and I will also share a map with all the locations marked at the end of the article.
1. Mirador de San Nicolas
Mirador St Nicolas is without a doubt one of the best places to see the sunset and stunning views of Alhambra, but if come here to take photos and enjoy a serene moment to yourself, you might be dissapointed.
You will find a lot of tourists and locals gathering here well before sunset time, and even local musicians come here to complement the golden colors with their flamenco rhythms.
The edge of the wall from where you can admire the views is usually fully occupied well before sunset, but you can still get lovely photos capturing the Alhambra without focusing on the crowds in front of you.
I personally prefer to come here in the morning to watch the sunrise (photo above is from sunrise taken in October), because around sunset time it’s usually pretty crowded and I think it ruins the experience.
Tip:
Location: Plaza Mirador de San Nicolás, 2, Albaicín, 18010 Granada, Spain
2. Sacromonte Abbey
Sacromonte Abbey is not known for its sunset views and I think that’s a shame as the views from the Abbey courtyard are amazing!
I visited two times already and the best views are just outside of the main building, looking directly at Alhambra and Granada city.
It is a little outside of the city and you might want to stay here for sunset after you’re done with the tour of the Abbey.
Location: Cam. del Sacromonte, s/n, Albaicín, 18010 Granada
Tickets:
Get your tickets to Sacromonte Abbey in advance – book them here.
3. Mirador de la Vereda de Enmedio
Vereda de Enmedio translates to the path in between because it’s the crossroad that connects Sacromonte to the Albaicin.
If you stand on the crossroad at the right time, you’ll experience the sun setting behind the Alhambra. The best part of this Mirador is that it’s surrounded by the finest flamenco spots in Granada.
Location: C. Verea de Enmedio, 55, Albaicín, 18010 Granada, Spain
4. Mirador San Miguel Alto
Mirador San Miguel Alto is the highest viewpoint in Granada and one of the locals’ hot spots for sunsets.
Unlike Mirador St Nicolas, it’s not as crowded and the views are superb – you can not only see the Alhambra, but the whole city spread underneath your feet.
The location is very popular with students and Granada locals, and not many tourists know about this place, so you will get a more authentic experience.
I took a taxi to the spot from Plaza Nueva, and it’s a very short 10 minute drive. To get back, I took the narrow paths down the hill to get back to Albaicin in just 10 minutes on foot.
On top of the hill in front of the church you will find lots of space to park if you come with your car.
Location: Cam. del Sacromonte, s/n, Albaicín, 18010 Granada, Spain
5. Restaurante Huerto De Juan Ranas
This spot is one of Granada’s best-kept secrets. If you’re not into the buzz of tourists, especially during something so serene and beautiful, this is the place you want to be.
Huerto De Juan Ranas is directly below Mirador de San Nicolas, so it’s easy to find. There’s a quaint little restaurant with a cozy terrace, which offers a much better experience than standing around.
I had a dinner here with my family and even though we arrived late with limited seating available, it was the best way to experience the sunset – tasting delicious food & sipping on local wine.
The restaurant is on a pricey side and you will definitely need to book a table if you want a good spot.
Location: C. Atarazana Vieja, 6, Albaicín, 18010 Granada, Spain
6. Restaurante Carmen St Miguel
Another great option for those who love to combine the best of both worlds – stunning sunset and delicious food!
I visited Restaurante Carmen St Miguel on my very first trip to Granada and was blown away by the views. Unlike in other places in this article, you won’t get a chance to see the Alhambra, but you will get a view of the whole city with the sun setting down almost directly opposite the restaurant.
Location: Plaza Torrres Bermejas, 3, Centro, 18009 Granada
7. Mirador de San Cristóbal
If you can’t decide on the perfect accessory for the gorgeous Albaicin sunset and the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada mountains are your options, why not settle for both? Since this Mirador is located at one of the highest spots in Granada, you can see the sun leave the sky as it hides behind both the Alhambra and the mountains.
However, the path to this beauty isn’t paved, or smooth, and you’ll be hiking your way up should you choose to admire the sunset from here.
Location: Ctra. de Murcia, 47, Albaicín, 18010 Granada, Spain
Best Albaicin Sunset Tours
If you want to learn more about Granada while watching a gorgeous sunset, this local expert tour offers the best of both worlds!
Sunset Walking Tour in Albaicín & Sacromonte
Walking tours are very popular in Granada but you haven’t experienced a tour like this one before.
The Sunset Walking Tour in Albaicín & Sacromonte is exactly what you need if you don’t know how to find the best sunset spots by yourself.
The tour lasts for a total of 2.5 hours and it includes more than enough photo stops, shopping stops, and even a few moments along the way to stop and embrace the beauty of the sun setting.
Meeting points: Grupo Hinia Sl or Fuente de la Plaza Nueva
Map for Sunset Locations in Albaicin, Granada
You can open this Google map on your phone and navigate to the best sunset spots in Granada!
Tips for Taking Sunset Photos in Albaicin, Granada
The sunset in Albaicin is pretty memorable but I’m sure you’d still like a nice picture to take home and show your family.
I’ve taken my fair share of sunset photos, whether in Granada or elsewhere, and have a few practical tips I can share with you.
- You don’t need a professional quality camera to capture something beautiful – I recommend rather investing in a good quality lens
- If you’re shooting with a mobile phone, you need to play around with the settings a bit to make sure you capture the light correctly. New phones tend to do this pretty well right out of the box.
- If you want photos without people, you might need to shop around a bit and find less crowded and known locations. For me personally, the best bet is booking a table in a restaurant with a view – that limits the crowds significantly.
- Sunset moves quite fast, so make sure you’re in the location well ahead of time to set up your camera and do some test shots
- If you’re shooting with DSLR choose RAW file format which will capture more data and will be much easier to edit
- Don’t be frustrated if you don’t get it right the first time – with photography practice makes perfect!
Granada Sunrise Tips
What about sunrise?
In my experience, catching a beautiful sunrise without crowds is much easier than chasing sunsets in Granada. If you’re visiting in winter, the sunrise is pretty late too, so you don’t have to get out of bed at crazy hours!
Here are my top tips for capturing sunrise in Granada:
- the best spot for sunrise in my experience is Mirador St Nicolas – the sun comes out from behind the hills and illuminates the Alhambra beautifully
- keep an eye on the weather forecast, if it says cloudy, you won’t see much
- in winter time, the sunrise is a bit of a gamble, you never know what you get due to the cloudy weather
- most tourists and locals still sleep around sunrise time, so you will find nearly all the most popular sunset spots empty, perfect for capturing the beauty of Granada
- the best combination of good weather, beautiful surroundings and setting for sunrise is in early autumn – see the photo I took in October at the beginning of the article
Explore More in Granada, Spain
Get inspired and check out my guide on what Granada has to offer, to make sure you don’t miss out on any fantastic experiences and places to see!
- How to Spend One Day in Granada, Spain: The Highlights Itinerary
- 13 Stunning Photography Locations in Granada
- The Charming Albaicin Neighbourhood of Granada
- Best Flamenco in Albaicin, Granada
- 5 Best Sacromonte Walking Tours in Granada
- 6 Best Albaicin Walking Tours
- 7 Best Walking Tours in Granada
- 7 Best Granada Bike Tours
- Alhambra Tickets: Insider Tips To Get Your Tickets [2024]
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If you need more visual inspiration for your Granada trip, check out my dedicated boards for the best photography locations in Granada, things to do in Granada, and a visual guide to food in Granada.
Thank you for reading!
