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Hotels in Granada at the Lowest Price Guaranteed We have 137 Hotels in Granada Province Offers on hotels of 1, 2, 3, 4 y 5 stars in Granada Province
Ever inadvertently walked out on to a film set? The chances are unlikely, unless you happen to reside in Hollywood and have a particular disregard for shouty men sat in foldaway chairs. However, if you wish to take in this experience (of the film set, not the shouty man), you should simply take a stroll through Granada’s enchanting streets. Colourful people, clean and beautiful buildings, pretty foliage and delightfully-fronted cafes converge in a kaleidoscope of Bohemian beauty that, if you squint, really can look like a live action film set, complete with background music almost everywhere you tread.
Such is Granada’s appeal and beauty that this is just one of many reasons to visit the city and province. Beyond the city proper, the Province of Granada contains the majestic Alhambra Palace, which in turn is overlooked by the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, home to the tallest mountain on mainland Spain and the continent’s most southerly ski resorts. Beyond here farther, the land is a fertile swathe of terrain, where the Alpujarras Mountains, endless whitewashed villages and rich wildlife all catch the eye.
The Province of Granada is home to almost 900,000 people, with the city of Granada home to almost a third of the population, and by far the province’s largest conurbation. To the north and east, Granada is bordered by Albacete, Murcia and Almeria, a small section of the Costa Tropical Mediterranean coastline to the south, Malaga and Cordoba provinces to the west and the Province of Jaen to the north. With a lovely year round climate, a rich history, a varied terrain taking in mountains and beaches and a great transport infrastructure, Granada Province is one of Spain’s most appealing tourist destinations.
“Ski in the morning, sunbathe in the afternoon!” This oft-heard marketing phrase has been applied to Granada for the past few years. While true, the viability of such a claim is a little stretched. Sure, the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada are a mere two hours’ drive from the beautiful beaches of the Costa Tropical, but due to their proximity, it is difficult to find an appropriate season that makes the two pursuits possible. By November, the ski conditions are excellent, but the beach might well be too chilly for sunbathing, while come April, when beach-going weather returns, ski conditions in the mountains are sketchy at best.
Still, the options are there, and it is exactly this wealth of attractions and diversity that makes the Province of Granada such a beguiling, intriguing, beautiful and endlessly awe-inspiring destination for tourists of all ages and orientation to enjoy. In between the beaches of the Costa Tropical and the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains lies an area of the province called the Las Alpujarras. The terrain here is among the most fertile in Spain, yet its hilly makeup has made mass cultivation of crops difficult. Hence, the landscape is dotted with numerous smaller fields and groves, growing oranges, lemons, figs, almonds, persimmons, grape vines and olives, with small whitewashed hillside settlements nestled in between. The lack of major roads or more modern farming techniques lends the region a timeless quality, where only the fashions, mopeds and music of the locals gives any clue that you are in the 21st century. And even then, it can be hard to tell!
Along Granada’s Costa Tropical – known locally as the Spanish Riviera – there are a number of unspoilt beaches that often appear completely overlooked by foreign tourists. With the beaches of the Costa del Sol to the west and the Costa del Azahar and Costa Blanca further north, competition to attract custom is fierce, which works out just fine for sun worshippers in search of their very own stretch of beach here. There are 28km of beaches, coves and promontories along the Costa Tropical, creating a beautiful coastline that is backed by a small number of traditional resorts, making this stretch of the Mediterranean one of the least developed, but most beautiful, in Spain.
For something completely different, the mountains of the Sierra Nevada National Park are a stunning sight to behold. Dominated by the Mulhacen peak (which stands 3,481 metres tall and is mainland Spain’s highest mountain), the entire region is dramatic, wildly beautiful and a haven for skiers and outdoors types all year round. The ski season stretches from early November through to late April, while spring and summer are ideal times of the year for hiking, climbing, horse-riding and bird watching, where the temperatures are a little cooler than those being experienced at a lower altitude.
Then there is the city of Granada itself. Located 738 metres above sea level on what is part of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, the city’s summer temperatures are a couple of degrees cooler than in nearby Malaga, making it a popular summer retreat for thousands of locals who live in the neighbouring provinces and swelter in the July and August heat.
Granada’s history is one of the richest and most dazzling in Spain, with much of its heritage still tangible in many of the city’s streets, statues, monuments, churches and cathedrals. The city’s growth was most rapid during the Nasrid Dynasty’s rule in the 8th century, when the Moors held much of what is now southern Spain. Granada was the last stronghold to fall to the Christian Reconquista, only ceding control to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. By then, the stunning Alhambra Palace was already in place, while the Christians duly embarked on a period of construction throughout the city.
Today, Granada’s architectural makeup is an interesting juxtaposition of Moorish and Catholic sights that delight the modern, digital camera-wielding tourist, such is the city’s beauty. Important monuments include the Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens, the imposing cathedral, the Palace of Charles V, the Albayzin, the Charterhouse, the Santa Ana Church, the Almorabitin Mosque, the Gate of Elvira, the Basilica of St. John of God and the Castril Palace, home to the Architectural Museum of Granada.
In the city of Granada, temperatures will regularly top 30c in July and August, with June and September both enjoying hot and dry weather pretty much every day. Spring and Autumn also have a number of pleasantly warm days, while winters can be chilly and wet, with snowfall not uncommon. In Sierra Nevada, temperatures are actually rather warm for a ski resort, with the coldest month – February – rarely getting colder that -5c. Summers here are warm and clear, with temperatures averaging around 22c, while the winter average is usually just above freezing. Along the coast, the climate is sub-tropical, with the mountains helping to protect and shelter the region, leading to dry and hot weather in Summer, and mild, sunny weather in winter. Indeed, the World Health Organization considers this region as one of the healthiest places in the world to live, thanks largely to the climate.
Whether you fancy soaking up the sun, the scenery or the culture, the Province of Granada is richly endowed in every regard. Its beautiful diversity is its main strength, while the province also boasts one of Spain’s most important Moorish palaces, one of its finest ski resorts, one of its most attractive cities and one of its best stretches of coastline.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, a shortlisted ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’, a tourist centre in its own right, a living museum and one of Europe’s finest examples of Moorish architecture, the Alhambra Palace is indescribably beautiful. It is located on the southeastern border of the city of Granada, on a hilly terrace overlooking the city and backdropped by the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
Such a stunning location can easily take the breath away, but try to save some for the sights you are about to behold in the palace itself. From the ornate Generalife Gardens through to the Alcazaba citadel, every inch of this enormous palace and grounds is majestic in its grandeur and ornate beauty. Its history is best discovered as you take one of its tours, but suffice to say, there is a wealth of heritage to uncover here, with tales of legend, heroism, tragedy and love intertwined within the building’s structure.
The best months to visit the Alhambra Palace are those either side of the high season. Not only will the weather be pleasantly clement, but the volume of crowds will be less, enabling you to take in its glory at your own pace. Attractions worthy of note within the grounds include the Patio de los Arranyes, the Generalife Gardens, the Court of the Lions, the Tower of Justice and the Alcazaba, which is the oldest part of the Alhambra. Inside the complex there are also restaurants, shops, a cathedral and a couple of excellent hotels – the four-star Alhambra Palace being the finest.
The Sierra Nevada boasts more than 65km of ski slopes, a five month-long season and a couple of exceptional resorts that will appeal to both beginners and experienced skiers and snowboarders. The resort has plenty of ski schools were virgin skiers can pitch up, hire their kit, spend a few hours on the nursery slopes and then head out on to the beginner slopes to test out their newly-acquired skills, while experts can head straight on out there to tackle some of the more difficult runs.
The main ski village is called Pradollano, and generally when people refer to the Sierra Nevada, they mean here, the main hub. The centre of the village has retained an old world charm, and boasts a number of cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels and an extremely vibrant après ski scene too.
The best time to visit the Sierra Nevada is either early or late season, when the crowds are more manageable. However, if you do intend to visit in high season for the atmosphere and the best ski conditions, try to hit the slopes between 9am and 11am, then again at 1pm to 3pm, when many of your fellow slope-sharers are likely to be either in bed sleeping off a hangover, or in town filling up on a hearty lunch. For accommodation, the four-star Hotel Husa Kenia ticks all the boxes.
Along Granada’s small but perfectly formed coastline, visitors to the province will be overjoyed by the Costa Tropical’s beautiful beaches, coves and seaside towns. Ideal for the entire family, holidaymakers of all ages will find something to delight them here. The Aquatropic Water Park is located on Velilla Beach in the resort town of Almunecar and boasts a number of exciting slides and pools for kids big and small to splash about in.
Almunecar itself is a delightful town, comprising a charming old centre that teems with some lovely bodegas and traditional restaurants, and is also home to the Loro Sexi Exotic Bird Park, which houses an array of exotic birds from around the world.
Out into the sea and tourists can partake in a number of boat trips to deserted coves, go dolphin watching, scuba diving or even deep-sea fishing with professionally chartered tour boats. However, if all this sounds a little too strenuous, then the soft white sands of the beaches, coupled with a good book, a refreshing drink and the warm sunshine, combine to create the ultimate ‘relaxation’ package. In Almunecar, the four-star Hotel Playacalida is a great family-friendly choice of accommodation.
There are so many places worthy of note in Granada. Whether arriving via car from the airport straight into the more modern corner of the city, or reaching the charming old town via a pleasant riverside stroll down from the Alhambra, one cannot fail to be enchanted by the city’s eclectic, relaxed, yet cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Attractions in the city include the Granada Science Park & Interactive Museum, the Mirador San Nicolas – which affords breathtaking views across the city and the Alhambra while gypsies play music and sell local crafts – the El Sacromonte gypsy quarter, the ancient Albaicin quarter, the cathedral and the main commercial thoroughfare, which boasts a number of famous shops sat beside a large number of beautiful buildings and monuments.
Hotels in Granada range from the small, centrally-located and impressively affordable budget options, through to standard three stars, luxury four stars and almost palatial five-star establishments. A good option for travellers simply seeking affordable comfort that is right in the heart of the city is the two-star Hotel Atenas, while the two-star Cedran hotel is also a good choice, and is located just 500 metres from the cathedral.
For something a little more luxurious, the four-star Hotel Hesperia combines style and excellent service with a great central location, while the five-star Hotel AC Palacio de Santa Paula is one of the finest hotels in Spain, is situated in the old quarter of Granada and is a tourist attraction in its own right, such is its beauty.
