Granada, the Alhambra, and the White Village of Frigiliana (Day 4)
Date: 2018-10-09
Departure from Marriott Playa Andalucía
An early start. Showered, packed, checked out at 11:30am. Luggage to the car via the underground car park; key cards returned at reception; any on-site charges settled. Then onto the road toward Granada in fine weather.
The drive: mountain roads, well-maintained, lined for kilometre after kilometre with olive groves. Coming from flat England, the sight of proper mountains on all sides was a genuine pleasure.
The Alhambra Palace, Granada
The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a palace and fortress complex built on a rocky hill above Granada by the Nasrid dynasty of Moorish rulers in the 13th–14th centuries. It is one of the finest surviving examples of Islamic architecture in the world.
Booking is essential. We booked online approximately 2 months in advance. Morning slots were already gone; we secured a 3pm entry to the Nasrid Palace (the central palace complex — the ticket specifies your entry time). Other sections of the site can be entered earlier in the day. To see everything thoroughly, allow a full day. The Nasrid Palace alone takes a minimum of 2 hours.
We arrived at the car park below the palace before 2pm, then walked up through the grounds.
The architecture: The intricacy of the carved stonework and tile patterns — created without modern tools — is genuinely humbling. The geometric complexity of the ceiling vaults and the perforated wall screens are the kind of thing that makes you stop and look without speaking. The same feeling I had at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona: Spain has an unusual concentration of buildings that seem impossible for their era.
Three hours immersed in Islamic art and culture. Worth every minute.
The Parador
Inside the Alhambra, there is a hotel: the Parador de Granada, housed in a former monastery within the palace walls. The Parador network is Spain's state-run system of hotels in historic buildings — a way to stay inside actual historic monuments.
The Granada Parador is the most sought-after in the entire network. The price: approximately €200 per person per night. For three people (with a small extra bed), we were quoted over €600 (~¥78,000). We declined and booked accommodation in Frigiliana instead — a decision I don't regret, though the concept of sleeping inside the Alhambra remains appealing.
Frigiliana
After the Alhambra, we drove east along the coast toward Frigiliana — said to be the most beautiful white village in Spain. Our overnight stop.
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