Is Granada Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons Why It Is

The main reason most tourists visit Granada is probably to go see Alhambra. It is after all a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the Muslim World. So many people ask themselves: Is Granada worth visiting without Alhambra? And my answer would be: Yes, definitely!

Visiting Alhambra is great, but I actually enjoyed the city of Granada more than Alhambra. That doesn’t mean to skip Alhambra, of course, just leave enough time to see Granada as well.

Keep reading to find out my 10 reasons why Granada is worth visiting, no matter if you visit for a few days or just on a day trip.

10 reasons why visiting Granada is worth it

1. The obvious: Alhambra 

Let’s get it out of the way, yes, you should visit Alhambra if you’re in Granada. It’s one of the best things to see in Granada and it’s the main reason most people answer the question “Is Granada worth visiting?” with yes.

The Alhambra is one of the most visited attractions in all of Spain and it’s on every itinerary of Southern Spain.

And you should buy your ticket online at the official Alhambra webpage as soon as you set your dates for visiting. I visited at the end of October and managed to buy a ticket two weeks in advance. In high season you should buy the ticket months in advance. 

Check out more of my tips for a visit to Alhambra before your trip there.

🤩 Get your Skip the Line Alhambra Ticket now

2. Find the Best Viewpoint in Granada

Granada is quite hilly, which can be exhausting when walking anywhere, but you get some great viewing points because of it. Most viewpoints are considered good if you have a great view of Alhambra from them.

• The most famous viewpoint is Mirador de San Nicolás, but to be completely honest I don’t know why it’s so popular. It’s close to the center, but without a good zoom, you’ll capture neighboring rooftops in your Alhambra photos. Plus, it can get overcrowded.
• The viewpoint Mirador de San Cristóbal is close to the Mirador de San Nicolás, it gives you a great view of the town of Granada without a lot of people there, but you don’t have a view of Alhambra from there.
• Now to my favourite viewpoint: Right in front of the Ermita de San Miguel Alto, you get an amazing view of the city and Alhambra, with hardly a crowd at all. We enjoyed a lovely, quiet sunset there. 
• Basically, any viewpoint in Sacromonte, a neighbourhood of Granada I’ll talk more about later, gives you a great view of Alhambra.

🤩 Visit some of the best viewpoints on this sunset walking tour!

3. Same As In Every European City: Visit The Cathedral

It really is on almost every European city’s to-do list, go and check out the cathedral. In Granada, the cathedral is in the same building as the Royal Chapel of Granada and the Iglesia Parroquial del Sagrario. All three have separate entrances.

I first saw the side of the Royal Chapel of Granada and was impressed, mistaking it for the cathedral. Later, I realized the cathedral was just around the corner. Both are among Granada’s most beautiful churches.

The interior of Granada Cathedral is more striking than its exterior, with white walls and columns that highlight the altars and religious artefacts.

Tip: If you want to enter either of those places, bring headphones for the downloadable audio guide app.

🤩 I love this Royal Chapel and Granada Cathedral Guided Tour because both entrance tickets are included

4. Stroll Around Albaycín, The Arab Quarter 

Sometimes I think it’s a bit awkward when I hear visit a neighbourhood because I’m always asking myself: Where exactly does the neighbourhood begin? Have I already seen the best parts of the neighbourhood? But you should definitely go see the Arab Quarter in Granada.

Doesn’t matter if you know exactly where the Arab Quarter starts. Once you’re there, you’ll know. There are no specific must-see places, just walking around the small cobblestone alleys, surrounded by white buildings is magical.

🤩 I love this Granada walking tour for visiting hidden treasures in Albaycín

5. Go Shopping

Usually, shopping would never be on my to-do list in a new city, BUT I just love those colourful stalls in Granada. There are two spots for the Moroccan market feeling, Calle Calderería Nueva and Calle Alcaiceria.

• In Calle Alcaiceria next to the cathedral, you can find the remains of the big bazaar. Nowadays it’s not really a bazaar anymore, it’s basically just souvenir shops and the only remnant from the cloth and silk trade from the bazaar are the touristy hippy pants.
• Calle Calderería Nueva offers next to shopping opportunities many teahouses (see next point) and you can even get some henna there, one of the cool things in Granada.

The first is a little bit bigger, and the second is more of a network of tiny alleys, where you can find little shops everywhere. You can find similar items to purchase on both streets, but I would still recommend visiting both since they’re both not that big and not that far apart.

6. Sit Down In a Teahouse 

In the Arab Quarter, especially in the street Calderería Nueva, you can find multiple teahouses. The traditional Moorish Teahouses offer a variety of classic and exotic tea flavours. They are quite touristy, especially in the popular street. But I think, it’s still worth it.

When you enter, you feel immediately transported to a place far away. It’s not for nothing Calle Calderería Nueva is called “Little Morocco”. Where else in Spain do you get that Moroccan atmosphere?

I tried three different teahouses in Calderería Nueva, Tetería Kasbah, Tetería Al Waha and Tetería Nazarí. Out of those three Tetería Nazarí was my favourite, the tea tasted very nice, it comes in a cute pot and it feels cosy inside.

Most tea houses also serve sweets, but none of the three I visited had any vegan sweets (or at least the staff didn’t know about it). You can get some vegan sweets on the same street at Andalusí Nujaila though, a little bakery that sells vegan baklava.

7. Visit the Cave Houses in Sacromonte

Sacromonte is the next neighbourhood you should not miss out on in Granada. It’s historically known as the “Gypsy Quarter”, nowadays 50 000 Roma still live in Granada and a lot of them live in Sacromonte.

The neighbourhood is known for its cave houses, houses that are built into the mountain.

You can visit a few historic cave houses in the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte. Just remember that it’s an ethnographic museum and you only see historic caves there and not typical caves, where people live nowadays.

If you’re interested in cave houses, I recommend checking out the cave houses in Guadix as well, they are even more impressive, and you can easily do a Guadix day trip from Granada.

🤩 I love this Segway tour for being a fun way to explore the city

8. See a Flamenco Show

Nobody knows the exact origin of Flamenco, but the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte suggests it’s from Sacromonte. Either way, it’s undoubtedly a Spanish thing to do, though quite touristy.

Our landlord said that she gets asked a lot for recommendations for non-touristy flamenco shows and she always says there are non, no Spanish person goes to see a flamenco show in the evening. I recommend you see one anyway.

We saw two Flamenco shows, one in the city center and another in a cave house. The city center show was decent, with performers on stage and a no-photo policy until the last song.

The cave show offered a unique experience, with performers among the audience, where photos were allowed, and drinks were provided, creating a cool atmosphere. I much preferred the cave show.

9. Relax in a Hammam

Why would you only go see the ruins of a bath from long ago, when you can relax in an actual bath? You can either just visit the bath with hot and cold water pools or add a massage. It’s not the cheapest evening entertainment but I think it’s worth it.

After a day of sightseeing and running around you can relax in a hot water pool, have some tea and enjoy a professional massage. There are multiple options for Hammams in Granada. We tried out three and Hammam Al Ándalus was my favourite.

🤩 Book a session in my favourite Arab Bath in Granada
I loved soaking in the hot water and getting a massage after spending the whole day exploring Granada

10. Go For Some Great Vegan Food

Granada is the town with the most vegan restaurants in Andalusia. That’s actually the reason why we chose to spend a week there. Read about all the vegan restaurants we tried in Granada.

If you’re not too fussed about if it’s an all-vegan restaurant there are a lot of falafel places around, which are vegan by default.

The only vegan options place we tried was Papas Elvira and we loved it. It was opposite our apartment, it was open all day till 1 am, and almost half the menu was vegan, including the desserts.

How Many Days To Visit Granada?

Have you answered the question “Is Granada worth visiting?” with yes, then the next question you might ask yourself is “How many days to visit Granada?” As I said in the beginning, I really think Granada is worth visiting for more than a day trip to Alhambra.

I would recommend spending two nights in Granada, so you can spend one day at Alhambra and relax in the evening in a Hammam and spend one day exploring the city of Granada and end it with a flamenco show.

If you have extra time, you can also take some day trips from Granada. I loved visiting the Alpujarra region in the Spanish Sierra Nevada, with its charming mountain villages. Guadix is another fantastic option for a day trip, offering many interesting activities.

Where to stay in Granada?

We stayed for one week in Granada at Apartamentos Placeta de San Gil and couldn’t have been happier with our decision. The apartment is very central and you can easily get to all the sights on foot.

For a more unique stay, you can also stay in a cave house like Apartamentos Placeta de San Gil. It’s a bit outside the city center but a truly unique experience.

FAQ about visiting Granada Spain

Final thoughts: Is Granada Worth Visiting?

Besides Alhambra, there might not be that many specific sights to see in Granada but I just loved the atmosphere and the different neighbourhoods! So if you’re in Andalusia and you’re thinking of staying longer in Granada or Malaga, my answer would be Granada.

Have I managed to convince you to answer the question “Is Granada worth visiting” with yes yet? I for one am already looking forward to going back to Granada as soon as possible.

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