A lot of people visit Granada in Andalucia for one reason only: to check out the Alhambra and watch a flamenco show at one of the traditional bars in Albaicin, a district of Granada.
Most tourists tend to spend one night, maybe a couple of days in Granada, then move on to the coast or back to Madrid, Seville or wherever they came from. I think that is a big mistake because there are so many other places to visit in Andalucia.
This province of Spain is far more than just the Alhambra so read this article to find out about the other places to visit in Andalucia during a holiday in Spain!
List Of Places To Visit in Andalucia During A Holiday:
- Fly to Granada Airport and take a taxi to your hotel in Granada
- Spend two nights in Granada checking out the local sights (A)
- Rent a car at Granada airport
- Visit the Prehistoric Caves in Pinar (B)
- Taste some freshly made olive oil at Campopineda (B)
- Visit Baeza and its UNESCO World Heritage City Center (D)
- Walk around Ubeda’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites (E)
- Spend a day as an “Aceitunero” in Begijar at the San Francisco olive press
- Walk up to Jaen Castle to witness a stunning sunrise (F)
Things to Do in Granada During a Weekend Trip
When I was in Andalucia I flew to Granada Airport, rented a car and then visited not only the Alhambra and Albaicin, but also some lesser known places like Pinar, Begijar, Jaen, Baeza and Ubeda, all famous for very different reasons.
First, I spent a couple of days in Granada during my four-day road trip around Andalucia. Granada is a major city with about 300,000 residents and its main tourist attractions are the Alhambra, Albaicin and the Cathedral.
Granada has millions of visitors each year, especially during the summer months, so if you want a slightly more relaxing walk around Granada then plan your visit in the shoulder periods. There are plenty of things to do in Granada and a weekend trip may not be enough so you might need to prioritise.
If you follow my guide you will have a good chance to see most things in Granada as I spent only two days here covering the below items.
Here Is A List of Things To Do In Granada:
- Fly direct to Granada with one of the many operators
- Take a cab or bus into town and stay at one of the central locations
- Have dinner at Venta el Gallo, a Flamenco restaurant
- Walk around Albaicin, Sacromonte and historic downtown Granada
- Visit the Alhambra and Generalife
- Have lunch at a traditional local restaurant near the Bullring
Dinner Recommendation for Granada
For my first night I went to a flamenco restaurant called Venta el Gallo. Here you can have dinner and then enjoy a flamenco show afterwards. I had fried haddock with a slice of baked potato for the main course and a local cake for desert. They also have a selection of tasty house wines.
Self-Guided Walking Tour in Granada
The next morning I walked around the city center, starting at Avenida de la Constitucion. My first stop was Jardines del Triunfo, a garden at the bottom of the road which used to function as a muslim cemetery. From here I walked towards the Puerta de Elvira, the entrance to Albaicin.
Walking Around Albaicin
Albaicin is an ancient district of Granada, formally known as the muslim quarter. Here you will find various reminders of Granada’s muslim past, such as the gates and walls you can see in my video about Granada.
Granada will be on your right walking up towards the top of the hill from the main gate. If you are lucky, you will be walking around Albaicin almost alone as most tourists take the sightseeing bus here.
There are plenty of viewpoints in Albaicin, providing for some stunning vistas over Granada. What I would recommend is walking along the narrow streets where car traffic is sparse so you can enjoy listening to the birds chirping.
Most of the buildings are white in Albaicin with one or two floors and a high wall, typical in many Arabic countries. At the square called Cuesta de Chapiz you should turn right and continue walking towards the river and the Alhambra.
Palacio de los Cordova
At the bottom of that street you will find the Palacio de los Cordova, a reconstructed medieval palace. This palace was initially demolished to make way for some other structures, but in the 1960s a local millionaire decided to rebuild the palace using drawings and paintings from centuries ago.
I really enjoyed walking around the garden and the views from here are very good, so make sure you stop off here on your way walking around Granada.
The Paseo de los Tristes
As you exit Palacio de los Cordova, turn left and walk to the river where you will see a cute little bridge. This area is Paseo de los Tristes, leading towards Plaza de Santa Ana.
There are many cafes and restaurants here so if you need a break I would recommend stopping here to eat or drink something. As you sit out on the square sipping a drink, you will be able to enjoy the stunning vistas over the Alhambra.
The Cathedral of Granada
Walk down Paseo de los Tristes towards Plaza de Santa Ana to reach Granada’s downtown area. The Cathedral is about five minutes walk from Plaza de Santa Ana, costing five euros to enter. It is a major structure, taking up a huge area, yet it is only half its original size as parts of it were demolished to allow for the construction of apartment blocks.
As you come out of the Cathedral, turn right and carry on walking towards Plaza Romanilla in the direction of the train station to reach Avenida de la Constitucion again.
Along this path you will find many small cafes and restaurants, all serving tapas and a drink, so this is also a great spot to take a break.
The Bullring
Past Avenida de la Constitucion is the Bullring or the Plaza de los Toros. This is another great structure in Granada, preserved in its original form and still hosting sporting events to this day.
I had lunch at the Las Vegas Restaurant, opposite from the Bullring for €8.80. The daily menu includes a starter, main course, desert, a drink and the bread, so it is an amazing deal if you are looking for something low cost.
The Alhambra and Generalife
Get up early in the morning and visit the Alhambra. The earlier you start the better as there are more than 2 million tourists visiting here each year meaning huge queues and crowds. Check out the photos below if you don’t believe me.
I visited the Alhambra and Generalife Palace complex in Granada during a four day road trip around Andalucia in Spain. The Alhambra complex is bang in the center of Granada and you can see it from pretty much anywhere you walk, so you cannot miss it.
Walking around the Alhambra in Granada takes about 2-3 hours if you visit every room, but you can easily spend the whole day here if you have a tour guide.
The Alhambra in Granada is probably better guarded than Alcatraz itself and it took us several stamps and various ID cards to get in with our press pass.
Tip: Read their website carefully and make sure you bring all the ID types they require, otherwise you will be disappointed!
The Alhambra and Generalife Palace Complex used to be the home of the Arab rulers of Andalucia but they were forced out by the Christians during the Reconquista in the 15th century.
Now you can find architectural evidence here from many centuries: the Arabic style in the Nasrid Palaces, a bit of renaissance in Charles’ Palace and even a medieval fortification with lots of watch towers.
Entrance Fees At The Alhambra
The adult daytime ticket costs €14 and kids under 12 enter free, but you need to book weeks in advance because there are only a limited number of people they allow in each day.
Millions of people visit the Alhambra and Generalife Palace Complex each year, which results in huge queues and crowds everywhere you look.
Once you are inside, you will be free to roam around – I would recommend starting at the Nasrid Palace, which is probably the most beautiful part of the Alhambra Palace Complex. It was here where the sultan lived, with marble floors and fountains in almost every room.
The walls and roofs all had exquisite carvings and the views from the windows were equally stunning. My favourite structures were the fountains and ponds in almost every garden which serve as coolants during the hot summer days.
I visited Charles’ Palace next but I was not that impressed after seeing the Nasrid Palace. It was far more bland and seemed far more imposing like an ancient Roman structure.
Visiting The Alcazaba Fortress
Next I walked up to the Alcazaba, which is the fortress at one end of the complex. Again, the queue was formidable but fortunately I could skip it with my special press pass. The views from the cube tower were spectacular, overlooking the old city and river below.
Walking to The Generalife Building
Walking from the Alcazaba to Generalife, which is the other end of the complex, takes about 10 minutes. The queues were terrifying here, I nearly wanted to turn back actually. Here, the only interesting thing was the garden with the fountain, so I would leave this last if you are short on time.
Granada Tapas Tour With Garnata Tours
During my visit to Granada I also went on a Tapas Tour with Garnata Tours, a local tour operator. Garnata Tours offer specialized tours in the region, including evening Tapas tours around Granada.
Going on an evening Tapas Tour in Granada is a must if you are staying overnight so read this post to find out more about this quintessential Spanish tradition.
Tips Before You Go on a Tapas Tour
- Make sure you let the tour organizers know about your allergies and food preferences
- Most tour operators can prepare for your allergies in advance
- Some even offer Halal, Kosher, Vegan and other tours
- Take comfortable walking shoes and don’t overdress
- Expect to drink some tasty local wines
- Arrive on an empty stomach and prepare to eat a lot!
Bar Borraja and Bar TTT
We visited two bars during the night: Bar Borraja and Bar TTT. In Bar Borraja we had some nice croquettes, a beef stew, fried eggs and more special croquettes and I also had a glass of local white wine.
Our next stop was Bar TTT about five minutes walk away. Here we tasted some more wine and local specialties. TTT Bar and Restaurant is a slightly more high-end place than Bar Borraja, specializing in great tasting local food.
Here we had some fried chicken strips, some beef and the local speciality which is a dark Iberian pork dish. I did not try the pork but everything else was very tasty! After all the meat we finished the night with a few slices of strawberry cheesecakes.
Manuel, The Tour Operator
Manuel, our tour guide is the owner of Garnata Tours. What we did was basically go with him testing out some new places which he wanted to include in future tours, so it was a slightly unconventional way of having a Tapas experience.
I really enjoyed the tour and if you want the real experience with someone that knows the city inside out I would recommend contacting Manuel or booking directly on his website.
Visiting The Almazzara Campopineda in Pinar
I visited the Almazara Campopineda Olive Press near Pinar during a road trip around Andalucia. Almazara Campopineda is a factory that produces high quality olive oil and they also offer tasting tours in the factory.
The Almazara Campopineda factory produces about 7 million liters of olive oil per year, collecting fruits from the area’s farmers. Visiting the Almazara Campopineda olive press is not difficult at all: Pinar is less than one hour away from Granada and much of the drive is on a two lane freeway.
Olive Oil Production Process
When trucks deliver a load of olive, they are dumped here and then washed and pressed for further processing. The machines separate the seeds from the fruit and then smash it all up into a pulp. That pulp is then pressed and filtered by a machine, separating any sediment and water out of the mix.
The final product is then pumped into a massive tank where it is left to settle before they are bottled for distribution. These massive stainless steel tanks can store 52,000 liters of oil each – I counted at least two dozens of them on site!
How to Bottle Olive Oil
It was quite fascinating to see the bottling unit in action. The plastic bottles are sent through a line where the oil is pumped into the bottle. The next step is to cap the bottle and then label it and box it.
The whole process takes a few minutes and requires only one person to control it! There is also a restaurant on site where we tasted the best olive oils the plant produces.
Olive Oil Tasting in Andalucia
Jacqueline, the boss at the Almazara Campopineda was very helpful and she showed us the best kinds of olive they produce here. We tasted three different types of oil, their virgin olive oil, harvested in October from organic centenary trees, their bio oil and a selection of others.
By the way, “centenary tree” means the three from which the olive was harvested is at least 700 years old! And there are trees in the region that are at least 2,000 years old!
It is so fascinating to think that these tree have been here since Roman times, feeding generation after generation!
Olive Oil Tasting Tips
Basically, when you taste olive oil you should never taste it with salt and the bread has to be white bread. Otherwise the seeds and salt will change the real taste of the olive oil and you will not be able enjoy it properly.
I also tasted their special Campopineda Arbequina selection which tastes a bit like cloves, cinnamon and apple mixed together with a bit of freshly cut grass. It was so natural I just loved it!
Factory Shop
The factory is also home to a store on site, selling the products they make here so if you want some real good souvenirs, I would recommend stocking up here!
The Prehistoric Caves in Pinar
I drove to Pinar in Andalucia during a four day road trip to visit the prehistoric caves in the mountains. Pinar is about 45 minutes away from Granada by car and there are three main tourist attractions here:
- The Medieval Moorish Castle
- The Almazara Campopineda Olive Press
- And The Cueva de las Ventanas Prehistoric Cave
How to Get to Pinar by Public Transport
If you don’t have a car, there are three daily buses operated by ALSA that depart from Granada, costing about €8 each way.
Cost of Tickets to the Cave
The ticket office for the caves and a small museum are in the town hall of Pinar. The ticket cost €8 per person for adults and €5 for children. There is a mini train transfer from the town hall to the caves, leaving from the main square. The train ride takes about ten minutes and it is fully covered so you stay dry even if it is raining.
History of The Caves in Pinar
The Cueva de las Ventanas caves were inhabited by hunters and gatherers for thousands of years and the exhibits are from the people that used to live there. The cave is 100% accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs as there are no steps inside, so even disabled people and families with small children can visit.
The local council redeveloped the caves into a museum 18 years ago and now there is even a concert hall inside where weddings and musicals have taken place over the years.
If you are interested in history and caves, I would highly recommend a visit here. Unfortunately, there has been a draught here for years so the caves are bone dry, meaning there is no more stalactite generation.
Nowadays the entire community involved, and even the tour guide responsibilities are shared out: it rotates between several local guides every six months.
Tour Guide
Mari Cruz, the tour guide offered some fascinating commentary, including about her childhood when she and her friends would play in the caves. The kids and her used to climb into the cave, painting the walls and fooling around.
In the past, thousands of years ago, there were even Rhinos, Hyenas and wild boars living around here and at one point some kids found a purse full of Arab gold left over by the muslims who lived up in the castle.
Photo with Fernando, the Cave Painter
Part of the tour is a photo opportunity with Fernando, the cave painter for five euros. It is well worth it for the memory and it also supports the local photographer who is very happy to take several shots of you to make you happy.
Visiting the UNESCO Sites in Baeza & Ubeda
After the cave you can have dinner at one of the local bars or just drive over to Baeza and eat at one of the many traditional places there. I stayed at the Puerta de la Luna hotel in the old town of Baeza for two nights. This hotel is in a historic building with many of the original ornaments still in place.
There is a bar attached to the hotel called Pacos Bar, which is where I went after I checked in. They serve good local wines and with every glass you get a free Tapas. You can also order a full meal, which is what I did: I bought a hamburger the first night and then various chicken and vegetarian options the next day.
Baeza is a little over one hour away from Granada and 40 minutes from Pinar. Baeza offers some spectacular architectural heritage to the visitors.
Baeza is a UNESCO World Heritage City with a stunning medieval city center, showcasing some beautiful renaissance and gothic architecture. Unfortunately the weather was not perfect during my visit, but I still had a great time walking around this ancient city of Andalucia.
During my visit I was accompanied by Maria Antonia Vargas Torres, a tour guide from the local area. She was very helpful and gave a lot of insight into the city’s history, including its old university, the cathedral and the main square.
Tips for Visiting Baeza in Spain
- Make sure you also visit nearby Ubeda (9 km) and Jaen (48 km)
- Stay centrally so you can walk around easily
- Hire a tour guide to learn about Baeza’s history
- Try the local delicacies in the form of a Tapas Tour
Walking Around In Baeza
Baeza and nearby Ubeda have been UNESCO World Heritage cities since 2003. The UNESCO awarded them this status for the special Renaissance Monumental Ensembles in their respective town centers, showcasing some stunning and untouched architectural heritage from the middle ages.
The main buildings in Baeza are the Cathedral and the Santa María Square, the old Seminary and the University. Some of the other important buildings are the current tourist office, the court house and the marvellous Palace of Jabalquinto.
The central cathedral bears the coat of arms of many magnificent kings, such as Charles V of Germany and I of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor.
Although Granada is much bigger and has the Alhambra, my personal opinion is that Baeza was just as interesting and with far fewer tourists so a visit here will enable you to take some nice photographs of these stunning structures.
Where to Stay in Baeza
I stayed at the Hotel Puerta de la Luna in the center of Baeza in the old town. The hotel is within a historic building with a courtyard and a swimming pool. The reception is on the ground floor, where there is main inner courtyard. There is also a study on the first floor as well as various sitting rooms.
The bedroom has a double bed, a desk and a couple of armchairs as well as the TV. The bathroom had a tub, a shower, a couple of sinks and a toilet plus a bidet. The breakfast room was in the basement, serving continental breakfast.
My first activity in Baeza was to walk around the old town and look at the various UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Baeza has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2003 and as a result the entire downtown area is under protected status, preserving the traditional look and layout of the city.
Visiting The Oleicola San Francisco in Begijar
After the tour with Maria Antonia Vargas Torres, our tour guide, I went to Begijar to visit the Oleicola San Francisco, a premium olive oil producer. They process about 6000 kg of olive oil here per hour, making some superb quality oil. Luis, the commercial director then gave us a special tasting round of their early harvest oil which tasted fantastic. After the tasting you will have the opportunity to have a tapas lunch.
Driving to Jaen Castle
The following morning we had to leave for Jaen and then to the airport unfortunately, but at least the weather changed as it became nice and sunny. Jaen is about 30 minutes away from Baeza, but the biggest attraction is the other side of the city on top of the mountain: El Castillo de Jaen.
The castle overlooks the city from atop the mountain and functions as a hotel, but tours outside are free. There is also a viewpoint at the end of the castle, providing stunning vistas over Jaen. I got very lucky as I got to the castle just in time for sunrise and managed to capture some amazing images on my iphone.
Returning to Granada Airport
The drive from Jaen castle to the airport takes about 1 hour, and by the time I left Jaen it was already 10 o’clcock so I just drove directly to the airport to catch my 1235 Easyjet flight to London Gatwick.