Albaicin is the oldest, and by far, the most beautiful part of Granada.
Located at the edge of Alhambra, framed by the Darro river and Sacramonte neighbourhood, it is worlds apart from rest of the city. You can see the difference as soon as you enter the neigbourhood, best explored from the end of Darro river near Plaza de St Ana (location on map here)
It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and perfectly captures the Islamic influence in the city with the many different transformations it went through.
Albaicin will impress you with its history well preserved in all the buildings, a number of monuments, and stunning views everywhere you walk. You can discover green carmens (gardens), pretty squares, narrow cobbled streets where you hear the residents chatting over lunch and watch the sun reflect on the Alhambra from a restaurant.
Albaicin is best explored on a foot, and without a map – get lost in the cobbled streets and find hidden gems wherever you go.
Here is a short virtual guide!
Plaza de St Ana
The small plaza is a great starting point for exploring – river Darro is right next to the church in the photo below. Just follow along the river or venture into one of the narrow streets to start exploring the maze of cobbled streets and beautiful view points.
Paseo de Los Tristes
Paseo de los Tristes is a great resting spot on your explorations of Albaicin – you can find it just after the Puente de las Chirimias (on map here), and sits just under the feet of Alhambra, offering great views and much needed shade from the sun.
The square is dominated by restaurant terraces which are sheltered from the sun under leafy pergolas. As you would expect from such a busy spot, the restaurants are great for a quick drink, but food is less than average (also not great value for money).
There is also a bus stop on this street which will take you to Sacromonte.
At the end of the square is Aljibillo bridge dating back to 11th century and a steep road up the hill that will take you to Carmen de la Victoria (closed on my visit), and through Camino de Sacromonte you can venture to explore the Sacromonte neighbourhood.
Barrio Sacromonte
Since the 18th century Sacromonte neighborhood (barrio) has been the settlement of gypsies and also the cradle of Flamenco. Today, you can still book your spot to watch a Flamenco show in one of the caves build into rocks (called Zambras).
Sacromonte looks very different from rest of Albaicin, with its white painted caves, rugged look and beautiful views not obstructed by narrow streets.
There is a small dedicated museum which explains more about the area and specially the caves made here – its called Museo Cuevas de Sacromonte (map location here).
From what I could see there are almost no restaurants or bars in this area, and its not as vast as rest of Albaicin for exploring.
If you fancy a bit of hike (or can drive there too), you can continue on the main road until you reach Sacromonte Abbey.
I didn’t make it all the way there as we had our little traveler with us, but I’m hoping to explore more of this beautiful part of Granada on my next visit.
Best Spots in Albaicin
Some of my favorite views in Albaicin include Plaza San Gregorio (map), Mirador St Nicolas (most popular viewing spot, marked on map here), Mirador de la Lona (map), Mirador de Santa Isabel la Real (map) and the view from restaurants El Huerto de Juan Ranas and Mirador de Moryama.
If you get tired from walking, there are a few small museums and historic buildings open to public, which in summer provide a welcome break from the heat and a bit of education (we liked the El Banuelo – on map here).
You can also indulge yourself with a spa day in the traditional and beautiful Turkish baths Hamman al Andalus, where you can experience authentic Arab bath rituals and massages. The baths are located just on the other side of river Darro, just behind the church.
Sunrise at Albaicin
If you don’t mind waking up a bit earlier, the sunrise in Albaicin is something truly special – you get a chance to have the whole neighbourhood for yourself and experience the sun peaking from behind the buildings and creating quite the spectacle!
I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of Albaicin and if you had any other favourite spots not mentioned here, feel free to leave a comment below.
For more updates on beautiful locations & hidden gems in Spain, follow along on my Instagram profile.
Explore More in Granada
Visiting Alhambra in Granada: The Complete Guide
Generalife Palace & Gardens, Granada
The Alcazaba of Alhambra, Granada
13 Beautiful Photography Locations in Granada: Tips from a Local Expat
My Stay at Hotel Casa 1800, Granada
Carmen de los Martires, Granada
Granada Monuments Tickets & Tours
Here are a few guided trip options for visiting the main sights in Alhambra. To check availability and prices please click on the link below.
- Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces Fast-Track Ticket – enjoy a fast-track access to all the sights within the grounds of Alhambra, including the Generalife Gardens. Does not include a guide.
- Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces, and Generalife Tour – fast track entry to the Alhambra complex with a private or shared tour guide.
- Nasrid Palaces & Generalife Ticket with Audioguide – the same tickets to Alhambra this time including an audio guide in the language of your choice.
- Sacromonte: Flamenco Show at Cuevas Los Tarantos Tickets – entry tickets to the popular flamenco performance in the Sacromonte district of Granada
Southern Spain Travel Planning Guide
Is it safe to drive in Spain?
YES! The roads in Southern Spain are generally in very good condition, with modern highways connecting the biggest cities. To rent a car, I highly recommend Discover Cars, which will get you the best deals on your car rental for your trip.
WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO DRIVE?
PUBLIC TRANSPORT — Southern Spain has a well-established and modern network of trains and buses. To get the cheapest bus or train tickets, take a look at Omio to find the timetables and prices.
DAY TRIPS — If you don’t like the hassle of using public transport, local travel companies offer many day trip options from almost all the destinations in Southern Spain. You can check them out here.
WHERE SHOULD I BOOK MY ACCOMMODATION?
BOOKING.COM — I have been using booking.com for all my trips in Spain and abroad, and have never had any negative experiences. Their reviews are very accurate and you get the best deals even on apartments, not just hotels.
ARE THERE LUGGAGE STORE OPTIONS IN THE CITIES?
YES — If you would like to leave your luggage behind to explore the city on your last day, before heading to the airport, you can use Radical Storage service, which lets you book luggage storage options in almost all the destinations in Southern Spain.
DO I NEED TO BUY A LOCAL SIM CARD FOR THIS TRIP?
YES – You can, of course, use your own card if you have roaming data available. If you want to avoid surprising extra charges from your operator, you can use a service like Airalo, where you can buy digital packs for e-sim cards, avoiding the hassle of sourcing local physical sim cards and extra roaming charges anywhere you go.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links – if you decide to book using one of the links, I will earn a small commission that helps me run this site. This is at no extra cost to you.
lovely blog, great photos
Thank you Michael!