Spain: Alhambra

We woke up bright and early, ready to beat the crowds and the summer heat for our tour of the Alhambra. Or at least that was the plan.

After making the long uphill trek to the entrance, we found out our tour time had been changed…by two hours. And no one had bothered to let us know. 😩 So frustrating.

So we turned around and hiked all the way back down into town, found a little café, and made the best of it with coffee smoothies and some delicious bakery treats. 

Eventually it was time to make the climb back up (again!) and finally begin our tour.

tired of waiting...

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Instead of enjoying cooler morning temperatures and lighter crowds, we toured during the hottest, busiest part of the day. The Alhambra is enormous, and our guided tour lasted nearly three hours, so we definitely got our steps in.

The Alhambra was originally built in the 13th century by the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. More than just a palace, it was an entire fortified city, complete with royal residences, military defenses, gardens, baths, and courtyards. It’s incredible to think that something built over 700 years ago is still standing with so much of its beauty intact.

We started in the Generalife Gardens, once the summer retreat for Granada’s rulers. The fountains, flowers, and perfectly manicured hedges were beautiful, offering a peaceful contrast to the bustling city below.

Next we climbed through the Alcazaba, the oldest part of the Alhambra and its original military fortress. There wasn’t much shade, and by this point the Spanish sun was definitely making itself known, but the panoramic views over Granada were worth every sweaty step. Looking out over the city with the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance made it easy to understand why this location was chosen centuries ago.

From there we entered what was probably the highlight of the entire complex—the Nasrid Palaces. Every room seemed more intricate than the last, with incredibly detailed Islamic carvings, colorful tilework, and ceilings that looked almost impossible to create by hand. 

One of the highlights of the Nasrid Palaces was the famous Court of the Lions. It was every bit as impressive as the photos, with its marble fountain supported by twelve carved lions in the center. Surrounded by elegant arches and incredibly detailed columns that almost seemed to glow in the sunlight. It’s one of the most recognizable spots in the Alhambra, it was easy to see why this courtyard is so famous. It was amazing to think that craftsmen created all of this by hand over 700 years ago, and the level of detail is still incredible today.

We wrapped up the tour at the Palace of Charles V, a massive Renaissance palace built after the Christian conquest of Granada. Its perfectly circular courtyard was such a dramatic contrast to the delicate Moorish architecture we’d spent the day admiring. Charles V started building it for his wife, but when his wife passed away the project stopped and was never finished. Its missing the top floor and the roof. 

There is truly so much to see here. You could easily spend an entire day exploring every corner of the Alhambra and still feel like you missed something.

After all that walking, we were more than ready for dinner. We found a restaurant that was supposedly known for having the best seafood paella in Granada. We were excited to give it a try…but unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to the hype. It wasn’t terrible, but just not a lot of flavor. It definitely wasn’t our favorite meal of the trip.

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution to a disappointing dinner in Spain: gelato.