Holiday reviews

Granada is the Alhambra palace (1338 to 1390) and the gardens, the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, convents and monasteries, the old islamic district Albayzin where the sunset is famous in the world or the Sacromonte where the gipsys perform flamenco shows in the caves where they used to live. Granada is all this and much much more.

The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means “red or crimson castle”. Alcazaba is the oldest part of the Alhambra, reconstructed upon the ruins of a castle in the 9th century. The most solid towers are those of the Homenaje situated to the south, and the Quebrada at the northeast angle.

Population: 250-350, 000 depending on the source. However Granada is a student city with a large amount of people coming from outside to study, and also a high ex-pat population.

The best time to visit Granada in Spain is either the Spring or the Autumn when the temperature is just perfect with warm sunny days. During July and August it can be very hot and some days the temperature can reach 40C. There is generally very little rainfall although every few years or so there are spells when it can rain very heavily.

Granada airport is about 12km from the city. On arrival it is best to get a taxi from the airport so that you can get to your accommodation without walking through the streets with your luggage. The taxi costs about 25 euros. There is also a bus service which takes you to the centre of Granada which is cheaper but more hassle.

Sierra Nevada is Europe’s most southern ski resort. The resort is located 32 km from the centre of Granada and is only a 50-minute drive. In 1996, it hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships. Imagine sunbathing in the morning and snow skiing in the afternoon!

Nowadays most mobile phone companies will do international roaming so as soon as you arrive in Granada your phone will automatically configure itself to the local network with the best signal. However sometimes it is necesary to prefix the number with 34 or 0034.

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain, finalist! Zürich/Switzerland, 1 January 2006 - With an official announcement, the Chairman of a panel of leading architectural experts has today revealed the 21 world’s landmark sites which will take part in the final stage of the race to become one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. The 21 finalists were selected by the New7Wonders Panel of Experts from a longlist of hundreds of nominations proposed by over 19 million votes worldwide. The Alhambra palace in Spain is one of the finalists, number 2 in fact!

Granada is more than just the spectacular Alhambra and nearby, Sol Y Nieve, one of Europe’s premier ski and snowboard resorts. The culture, the history and just the feel of the place make it one of the must see places for all tourists worldwide. The situation of the Alhambra is one of rare natural beauty; the plateau commands a wide view of the city and plain of Granada, towards the west and north, and of the heights of the Sierra Nevada, towards the east and south.