We arrived in Granada from Madrid after a 4.5-hour train ride. Even though the two cities look far away from each other on a map, high-speed trains in Spain make it possible to go from one to the other in just a few hours. It cost each of us $75 for the ticket, which is not bad at all.

Granada train station is just a short walk from the city center. You can take bus #4, #21 or #33 to the Cathedral, which is right in the heart of the city and the main attraction. We stayed at an AirBnb just 2-minute walk from the Cathedral. I’d recommend that you plan in advance how to get to your desired accommodation from the airport or the train station. There are areas in the city that are very hilly and extremely unfriendly to luggage wheels. Either you’ll have to pay more for transport or physically struggle to drag your luggage to where you stay. I’d take that into consideration when choosing where to stay.

What To See

Cathedral of Granada Complex

I call it a Complex because you can buy a combined ticket to a total of 6 attractions on this website. We went to the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, Monasterio de la Cartuja and Iglesia de San Nicolas. The first three were very beautiful and interesting from a historical and architecture standpoint. The last one was not as interesting, but I was told that people go there around sunset to watch the city from above. We did not do that, so maybe we didn’t get to experience the best that the Church of San Nicolas has to offer. Here are a few photos of the Cathedral and Monasterio de la Cartuja. We were not allowed to take photos inside the Royal Chapel.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo

We didn’t have this church on our list. We just stumbled upon it while wandering around its neighborhood, but it was a pleasant surprise. The church is free to visit and doesn’t seem to be on many people’s radar. Yet, it has its charm and the inside looks stunning.

Ahlambra & Generalife

It’d be a big mistake if I missed this must-see. I truly believe that you need to see these two attractions while in Granada.

If you know when you want to visit Granada, I suggest that you book tickets in advance as it is impossible to buy them at the gate. We actually met a guy who went around to ask guided tours if there was any no-show and if he could join. He even inquired if he could bribe the guards (El Oh El). Tickets to Alhambra, especially to Nasrid Palaces, are in high demand and quickly sold. There is Granada Pass that offers access to Alhambra, but you will still need to see if there is any availability that suits your schedule. We bought this guided tour because we didn’t have any other choice. Group tours can help you skip all the lines, but they tend to be a bit more expensive. I don’t think our guide added any special context or stories, but well, we were short of alternatives.

Trust me, Alhambra and Generalife are mind-blowing and something to behold. The below are my best photography efforts, but they fall well short of doing the views justice.

Where To Eat

• Carmen El Agua: this one is the best restaurant we went to in Granada and got overwhelming approval from my most important audience, my wife. You can reserve a table online, but it’s good to actually go there to see the seatings and get the best view of the Alhambra. We loved the Scallop & Tiger Prawn Ceviche Spicy, the Smoke Iberian Pig Shoulder and Tiramisu. It’s a bit pricey, but boy, it’s worth it.
• Cafe Bar Minador de la Lona: this restaurant is super local up on a hill. You will have to work a little bit for it, but the food and the vibe are worth it. We went there twice for the Fiduva and Paella for lunch. You can ask the chef to make it less salty.
• Abaco Te: another local shop in the Albaicin area. We stumbled upon this local cafe that had a very good view of Granada and decent and reasonably priced drinks.
• La Finca: hands down the best coffee shop we had in Granada
• Perspectives Coffee: another great coffee shop

Tips

• You will need to present your ID three times at Alhambra and Generalife. Make sure that the name you put on your tour booking matches what’s on your ID. We used our US-based IDs (state ID and driver license) because we didn’t want to carry our passports. They worked.
• Carry some cash around for bus fares and in case cards are not accepted (it’s rare, but it did happen to us).
• Book popular places well in advance and print tickets out if possible.
• Plan your accommodation strategically and do not carry a lot of luggage. You are on vacation, so don’t stress yourself out because of excessive luggage.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for less salt in your food.
• Get a good data mobile plan. Wifi is not available at most shops. And you may need help with translation when communicating with locals. My wife used Airalo and I used an international pass from Mint Mobile. They worked very well. You can give Airalo a try here and if you use this link, we both got $3 credit each