Granada Province is located in Southern Spain, with a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. The capital city, also called Granada is a classic Spanish medieval city full of history, art, food, music, and more surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural vistas in all of Spain. Where do you start with so much to do and see in this beautiful land? Here are a few ways to kick off your Southern Spain vacation in Granada.
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The Darro Valley
The South of Spain, particularly the Darro Valley, holds a fascinating history of the many types of people who lived and worked there. The Darro Valley is formed between two picturesque hillsides. Recently, the Darro River and has been declared a Cultural Heritage Site to help preserve its many ancient ruins and protect its natural beauty.
Granada Province was once under Arabic control centuries ago, and today still holds some of the most breathtaking examples of Arabic architecture in Europe.
The Alhambra is a sprawling fortress and palace in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada that Nasrid rulers began constructing in 1238. Throughout the centuries, as the site has changed hands, different rulers modified it differently.
Tour the Area Around Alhambra
Cicerone offers tours of the area around Alhambra and the surrounding Darro Valley. In one afternoon, you can stroll down the Acequia del Tercio to a beautiful vista of the Alhambra, then take a short journey to the Castle of Santa Elena, a smaller Nasrid castle from which you can catch a panoramic view of the Alhambra in all its splendor. You can also visit the famous Fountain of Avellano, and pretend you’re a 19th-century romantic like Ángel Ganivet meeting other writers at midnight.
Visit The Sierra de Huétor and Surrounding Area
The Sierra de Huétor is a beautiful natural park located near the city of Granada. There you can view towering mountains, steep limestone cliffs, and many large pine forests. One highlight of the park is the karst rock formation in the Cueva del Agua.
Learn About Federico Garcia Lorca
While you’re visiting Sierra de Huétor, take some time to walk in the footsteps of Federico Garcia Lorca, whose house and favorite haunts are nearby.
One of the greatest writers of his age, Federico Garcia Lorca lived and died in Granada. His murder during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s made him a martyr to many people.
Cicerone offers a tour of Lorca’s favorite places and a chance to learn about the extraordinary literary figure. The tour unravels Lorca’s time, placing visitors in the same place as the great poet and illustrating the vastly different landscape he saw nearly 100 years ago.
Another Lorca tour also takes visitors to the villages of Víznar and Alfacar on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where ancient irrigation channels still impress. Spanish Civil war trenches, as The Trincheras del Maullo, are still around to view as well.
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range with several large peaks and natural areas in Southern Spain. These high, mostly limestone mountains offer many opportunities to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and explore some of the unique natural areas in Granada Province.
With several natural parks and entry ways into the mountains, you can explore large areas of the Sierra Nevada and even ski at the southernmost ski resort in Europe while staying in Granada.
Granada UNESCO Global Geoparque
The Granada UNESCO Global Geoparque is truly one of the wonders of all of Spain. All Geoparques are specifically reserved land showcasing rare or incredible geological features. The Granada Geoparque was created by river erosion over the last 500,000 years or so. The result is high plateaus that crumble into bizarre, bright rock formations shooting straight up at the sky. These hoodoos form canyons and seemingly endless fields of crumbling stone that look like they’re from another world.
The area immediately surrounding the Geoparque is some of the most scenic in the region. Granada Province offers many natural wonders and human-made ruins and cities. Near the Geoparque are some of the tallest mountains on the Iberian Peninsula. The crumbling rock formations fan out for miles, forming “badlands” similar to areas of South Dakota in the United States. In all, about 25% of the surface area of Granada Province is badlands.
Los Cahorros Hiking Trail
One of the most beautiful hiking trails in the region, the Los Cahorros trail takes hikers from the village of Monachil, about eight kilometers from Granada, through narrow canyons up to a limestone rock trail overlooking the Andalusian countryside. The views from the upper part of the trail are breathtaking, while the lower part of the trail makes for a fun, adventurous hike through the ancient gorge.
The trail is well-maintained with plenty of signage, and the total length of the loop trail is only around eight kilometers. This makes for a spectacular day trip to the Granada Province countryside.
Cicerone and Sustainable Tourism
Cicerone specializes in tourism in Granada Province and is a member of the Biosphere Community, an international tourism sustainability certification. Cicerone is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations in 2015. Preserving the history and beauty of Granada Province is Cicerone’s top priority.
Environmental Sustainability
Cicerone is committed to the environmental health of Granada Province. This commitment is strengthened by Cicerone’s pledge to keep its environmental footprint as small as possible.
One of the ways Cicerone bolsters the environmental sustainability of all its destinations is by keeping its touring groups small. This makes for less wear and tear at historical sites, improves safety, and prevents common problems with international tourism such as noise and light pollution.
Get Ready to Experience Granada
If you’re ready to experience everything that Granada Province has to offer, sign up for a guided tour of some of the most important historical sites in the area with Cicerone. Cicerone is committed to sustainability, history, and customer service. Cicerone tailors the experience to each of its customers to ensure they will return again. Let’s get going!
