20 Great Pictures from Granada, Spain

Granada PicturesAfter leaving the amazingly picturesque city of Ronda, we travelled to Granada, a somewhat sleepy city that roughly 250,000 people call home. Sleepy? Well, only during the day time, when the University of Grenada’s 80,000 students are studying diligently. Perhaps because of its large student base, Granada is the place that we were told has the best free tapas offerings. Following up on that lead, we reached out to Granada Tapas Tours to help guide us though the best tapas places in Granada, and we were not disappointed.

Grenada’s most notable tourist destination is the Alhambra, a Moorish fortress that overlooks the city. A UNESCO heritage site, the palace was used in the 1492 as the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella, and it is where they endorsed Christopher Columbus’ famous expedition westward. On the day we visited, tickets to view the palace’s interior were sadly sold out, but we discovered some amazing graffiti on our walk up the hill. Plus, exploring the grounds of the Alhambra can make for a great afternoon.

 

Click to see a detailed itinerary of our trip through Spain with Kids 

 

We walked everywhere in Granada, taking in the street scenes and stopping for tapas whenever we could. Here are some of the best pictures we took in Granada:

Free Tapas

We found a lot of free tapas in Spain, but Granada did it best. The offerings are elegantly prepared and delicious. During our tapas tour with Gwen from Granada Tapas Tours, we visited La Criolla, Taberna Gradados, and Casa Colon .

La Criolla Granada
Red Peppers stuffed with a creamed cod fish at La Criolla. This is the first dish we had and set the tone for an amazing afternoon of food tasting.
This pork themed tapas is referred to as a fashion tapas, complete with liquid smoke. Also served at La Criolla.
Habas con Jabon, mini broad beans with chunks of cured ham drizzled with a healthy overdose of olive oil. Served at Barca Taberna. Our favourite dish in Granada!
More delicious fish (right), as well as a curried chicken with a couscous base (left). Hard to believe these are free offerings. Served at Casa Colon.

Street Art

Street art seemed to be far more common in Europe than in many of the North American cities we have visited. We found some great examples in Granada as we explored the city on route to Alhambra.

Granada Street Art
This emotive mural with an environmental theme seems to have been tagged by its maker in the very centre of the piece.
Louis Armstrong Mural Granada
Is there a more recognizable smile than that of the great Louis Armstrong?
Granada Graffiti
Hard to tell if just one artist was involved here or many, but I like it.
Granada Mural
Another perplexing piece that certainly comes from an imaginative mind.
Granada Wall Art
Something about this mural makes it perfect for its setting, great use of colour.

Alhambra

In addition to the palace, the grounds of the Alhambra feature a number of lush gardens, seating areas, shops and even a luxury hotel. We spent the afternoon outdoors and enjoyed the tranquility provided by some of the palace’s more peaceful areas.

Alhambra painter
Overlooking the city, the grounds of the palace provide a picturesque view for this local artist.
Walls of the Alhambra
Its towering stone walls would have made the Alhambra a tough place to conquer in the middle ages.
Parador de Granada
A garden paradise awaits those venturing outside from the Parador de Granada, an elegant hotel on the grounds of the Alhambra.
Alhambra Fountain
A fountain that has stood the test of time
Artist at Alhambra
Several craft makers and sculptors work on the grounds of the Alhambra, offering some beautiful art work for those with the luggage space to take it home (we did not).
Alhambra Exit
Upon leaving the grounds, visitors enter a thriving street scene with great shops and restaurants leading into the Albaicin.

 

Street Scenes

We walked a lot in Granada, perhaps too much, but it gave is a chance to explore the many pedestrian only walking areas in the city. We found food everywhere as the residents certainly enjoy spending times in tapas bars and cafes.

Ice Cream Granada.
Helados Artesanos! Ice cream shops are everywhere in Granada, much to the delight of the kids.
Pedestrian Only Granada
Luckily, our Little Man found places to rest on a number of Granada’s pedestrian only streets.
Granada Fountain
Since the kids always had toys with them, they made sure to let them go swimming at every fountain.
Granada Street Scene
Granada actually means pomegranate in Spanish. Throughout the city, the fruit is carved everywhere, from streets to buildings to lampposts. Our kids went on a treasure hunt to find them.

 

Click here to see our video from Granada. Be sure to check back each week for a new picture post from one of the 35 cities we visited in Europe and Morocco (wait until you see the Atlas Mountains). Click here For a complete summary of posts from our 148 day journey or here for our adventures in Spain.

This is the third post in our series. We recently posted our favourite pictures from the Spanish cities of Málaga and Ronda.

 

Granada Spain street art and food in pictures

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