500-word piece on the walkability of Granada, Spain.
A UNESCO world heritage neighbourhood, the second most visited tourist attraction in Spain, a 450-hector hiking/ cycling area a short walk away. Granada is the city you can experience so much of, without ever having to catch a bus, taxi, or train.
Many cities claim to have a little something for everyone, but never is that truer than in Granada. The small city is swollen with places to explore, and experiences to be had. One could spend the entire morning, or indeed day, walking around the world-famous Alhambra. It’s multiple palaces, fortifications and gardens are all spectacularly built upon a hill looking over the city. Every part of the complex is accessible and incredible. The afternoon could be spent in the lower city, visiting its many churches, museums, and shops. Stopping off at some of the hundreds of tapas bars along the way. When the weather cools in the evening, you can tackle the steep, narrow, whitewashed buildings of the Albayzin, catching glances of the red towers of the Alhambra between the buildings.
There are not many cities you can enjoy as much as Granada by just walking. Every central district offers a concoction of architecture, history, and sites to enjoy. All different in style and atmosphere. From the gridded streets south of Plaza del la Trinidad, which, despite looking simple and residential, hide interesting shops and some of the best tapas bars in the city. Up from that is the touristy, busy central district. Packed with highstreets, bazaars, grand squares, and of course, tapas, a lot of tapas. If you exit the centre east, via Plaza Isabel la Catolica, you will enter the trendy, old Jewish district of Realejo. If you continue north, the Flamenco bars, winding alleyways and viewpoints amongst a maze of non-uniform buildings; the Albayzin.
Every city, especially in Spain, has many neighbourhoods and historic sights you can wonder between. What makes Granada that little bit more special is that if you want to go on a long, yet stunning hike or bike ride, you don’t need to get a bus out the city. One option would be to walk up river along the Genil, the wide, shallow river that cuts though the lower part of the city. It will take you down wide, well-trodden paths, shaded by lush green foliage. In total, the Sendero del Genil is over five miles long, ending at the serene village of Pinos Genil. If you walk up to and past the world-famous Alhambra, you will find yourself entering the 450-hector protected area called Dehesa del Generalife. The area is a popular cycling and hiking area for the residents of Granada. It is crisscrossed with trails broad and narrow. Each one of these trails provides stunning views of the surrounding, often snow-capped, mountains.
Any type of holiday you wish to have, Granada has the goods to provide it, but one of city’s tricks is that you need not do anything but walk. No messing around with overpriced metro cards, no confusing bus maps, no expensive taxis, just the shoes on your feet.
Jake Garrett 