Granada & Sierra Nevada
Why go?
As if its setting at the foot of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada
mountains, its cathedral buildings and its characterful gypsy
quarters were not enough to warrant a visit, Granada also happens
to boast the most exquisite monument in all Andalucia: the Moorish
palace and gardens of the Alhambra. Spend a day wandering through
its ornate salons, water-cooled patios and tranquil gardens, and
you will wish you could do it all again the following day. Perhaps
you should schedule some extra time here just in case. Even without
its monuments, Granada’s strongly Arab atmosphere (it was the
last city to be ‘liberated’ from the Moors), its
colourful shops and restaurants, and its arty vibes, make it a
lively place to hang out.
Within an hour’s drive of the city, you can be walking
between the white-washed, hippified villages of the Alpujarras or
high among the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. In winter there's a
modest ski centre which lives up to its name of Sol y Nieve (sun
and snow); in summer a minibus winds up Europe's highest road to
the lunar landscapes of the Tres Mil (3000-metre peaks). You could
be on a different planet from Granada, but you're only a couple of
hours away.
Any Downsides?
In Granada itself, building noise by day and passing revellers by night can shatter the peace – the centre is definitely a happening, slightly hippy place. Gypsy women pressing unwanted 'gifts' at you can become tiresome. Elsewhere in the region, you may be put off by a large number of foreign residents - particularly in the Alpujarras, where there are new-age communities - and by inevitable patches of mass tourist development on the Costa Tropical. Be prepared for cold, cloudy weather in the Sierra Nevada outside summer, and for extreme heat on the plains in summer.