Alhambra, Granada
La Alhambra
A palace fortress left by the Moors' last dynasty in Spain, the Nasrids. It is a pinnacle of Islamic art and a World Heritage Site, and it requires advance booking.
The Alhambra sits on the Sabika hill southeast of central Granada, with the snowy Sierra Nevada behind it. It was built by the Nasrid dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries and became a royal palace after the Catholic Monarchs conquered Granada in 1492. The site has four parts. The Nasrid Palaces are the core and require timed entry tickets. Highlights include the Court of the Myrtles, the Hall of the Ambassadors, the Court of the Lions and the Hall of the Two Sisters with its stalactite dome. The Alcazaba fortress offers views over Granada from its watchtower. The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building with a square exterior and a circular inner courtyard, and it houses a museum. The Generalife is a summer palace garden, best known for its water-channel courtyard. Tickets (combined) cost about €19–21. In summer, tickets often sell out 1–2 months in advance, so buy only on the official website or through authorized channels, and bring your passport for name verification. Night tickets are also available. Allow 3–4 hours. Getting there: take a high-speed train or regional train from Seville for about 2.5 hours, or a bus for about 3 hours to Granada. Then take the C30 or C32 minibus up the hill from the city center. In the evening, visit the Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín across the valley to watch the Alhambra at sunset. Note that latecomers cannot enter the Nasrid Palaces. The grounds are large, so allow at least 30 minutes of walking to reach the palace entrance.
Opening hours
Mid-Apr–mid-Oct 08:30–20:00; mid-Oct–Mar 08:30–18:00; night sessions extra
Nearby sights
- Carmen de los Mártires
- El Bañuelo
- Hammam Al Ándalus
- Realejo
- Carrera del Darro & Paseo de los Tristes
- Mirador de San Nicolás
- Albaicín
- Plaza Nueva