Spain (Spring 2023) - Granada (Day 3)

We started the day down the street at a little cafe that opens early.

La Chicota

Some locals having a breakfast as well so it was not just a tourist place. This was a great place to start the day with good coffee and good grub.

Alhambra

We had pre-purchased timed entry tickets to Alhambra which is needed because it is very very busy and popular. You can start lining up 30 minutes prior to entry but it’s really not necessary because it’s a long walk to the Nasrid palace where you actually need the timed entry and there is no real difference between the front and back of the line.

There is a little coffee shop by the entrance where you can get some refreshments while you are waiting.

Approach to Alhambra

It’s obvious that you need to head up a hill to get to the entrance since it’s located on a hilltop but I was surprised by how steep it was in certain sections. With the large number of people that come here, I’m sure there has to be some heart attacks on the approach as it’s like a little stress test.

Maybe those at risk people are smart enough to take a bus or cab up the hill? We were lucky it was a relatively cool day - it would be a long walk in the heat.

Palace of Charles V

After you enter you can purchase an audio guide which is the iPod thing that you carry around and punch in the number at the exhibit to listen to the historical blurb regarding that site.

After walking some gardens at the entrance, the first main structure you approach is the Palace of Charles V. It is different than the other buildings as it is built in the Roman style vs the Moorish style of the rest of the compound.

Nasrid Palaces

This is where your timed ticket is applicable and when you go in you can see why. There is usually a crush of people - especially at the beginning before they start to thin out as people move along at their own pace.

You walk through the whole palace with its religious sites, gardens, baths, and so on. It is pretty amazing that all the intricate designs have lasted these many hundreds of years.

Generalife

After leaving the Nasrid Palaces, you can then tour the Generalife which is an ancient estate built next it. You get great views of Granada from the hilltop here.

Mirador de San Nicolas

After walking down from Alhambra, instead of walking back to town, we decided to walk up another hill to a church and square that provides an excellent view of Alhambra.

It’s not too bad an uphill walk but you get rewarded with these great views. The Church of San Nicolas on the other side of the square is actually very modern looking on the inside. The square is pretty festive as well with the buskers and people selling crafts.

El Balcon de San Nicholas

Located across the street from Mirador de San Nicholas, people come here mainly also for the view. We just got some beers here and used the facility to take a break before the walk back into town.

They have inside and outside seating but everyone is outside for the view.

Rincon de Rodri

After taking a steep walk down through narrow alleys and streets back into town, we decided to check out an area west of town for lunch. Rincon de Rodri is in a working class neighborhood and lots of locals came in for lunch. I noticed that lunch often included a beer - probably because of the tapas you get. There was a fish stew on special that seemed popular with the local crowd.

Their free tapa was pretty substantial, it was fried fish chunks on top of some couscous like starch. We also ordered some shrimp along with the beer. The place is very fish centric and they had a large case filled with fresh offerings.

Carrera de la Virgen

Bar Los Diamontes

Needing a late afternoon snack before going back to the hotel, this place was just down the road from where we were staying. This was a simple no nonsense beer bar with mostly standing tables. We sat down of course since we just walked a ton of miles.

We just got the free shrimp tapas but they had a full menu posted on the wall. A great convenient stop on the way back.

3 onzas

This place was not what I expected. I was expecting just a decent cocktail bar but this was like as good as any place I’ve been in the world.

The space is very small but they take care to attend to every detail. From the leather bound menu to respecting the craft, everything about this place makes it a great cocktail bar.

They give you some high end - I want to say snacks but that seems too simple. They gave you popcorn but also other deconstructed tastings that you feel came from El Bulli.

Definitely gets my vote for being one of the best cocktail bars in the world (with reasonable prices too).

La Gintoneria

This was a fun bar that specializes in different gin and tonic combos. The bar was not busy so we chatted with the bartender about her favorite gins and let her make drinks for us.

Taberna Casa Enrique (oldest bar in Granada)

Had to visit the oldest bar in Granada - I believe it was founded in 1870. They had some outside standing tables and the inside was pretty tiny.

We found a place to squeeze in and stand at the end of the bar. The waiter told us that we were in the way and then the bartender overruled him and told us to stay put. This all happened in Spanish but we got the gist.

The bacon tapas were free with the vermouths and then we ordered some Iberian ham. Wonderful little tavern in the middle of town and definitely feels authentically old.

Loop

The theme of this place is a hipster vibe with vinyl records on the wall. What I did not expect is that their free tapas were excellent and creative. They weren’t just simple salami or cheese on some bread. They looked like they were from a Barcelona tapas bar with different topping combinations. It is a great little stop and seemed popular with the younger crowd.

Hanalai

We felt like squeezing in one more cocktail on our last night in Granada. This place is a kitschy Hawaiian themed titi bar. When we arrived there was no one tending bar. His friend was at the bar and said that she could get us a beer if we wanted but would need to wait for the guy to come back if we needed a drink. We were about to leave when he came back to serve us these fun tiki drinks.