Granada and Sierra Nevada charming places

As we rely on other posts, made late last year a trip through Andalucia from Barcelona, we passed by Córdoba, Seville, Sierra Nevada (Ski Station) e Granada It is our last stop before returning to our home in Barcelona.

We left for Granada 3 days, we 2 days in Cordoba and 2 days in Seville. we arrived in Granada early afternoon, We had left Seville ace 11 am in the morning, Seville to Granada are about 215km, some 2 hours and little road without tolls.

As soon as we were arriving in Granada, still on the road we were admiring the Sierra Nevada in the distance snowy, leaving the beautiful view, love walk around and see snow, and one day in Granada took advantage and went to Sierra Nevada skiing, below count as.

Our first stop was to leave things at the hotel and leave the car there too, because we like to know the city on foot, We stayed at Hotel Saylu a good hotel with great price, very close to the city exit towards Sierra Nevada, usually we stay in the city center but as we were by car, we seek a hotel that had parking and this has, but an important detail, the hotel has vacancies covered and not covered that are free, we reserve the cover to secure and think, if you have space in the free places, we say that we want to stop the car in the free and ready, but when we spoke to the receptionist that we would leave the car in the free, he said that our indoor wave was already registered and would not have to cancel, it had been made by booking, it lost 30 euros, then gets the hint, not book this hotel vacancy, but even with that little problem we recommend the hotel and booking, It was the best price, I had a beautiful room overlooking the Sierra Nevada and very well located.

Things to do in Granada and what are its main attractions of Granada?

On the afternoon of first day We took a bus near the hotel to go to the center of Granada, that first day booked to see the right part of town, where is the Albayzin.

we started by Triunfo Gardens, and the old building Hospital Real that today is a building of the University of Granada.

After there we went to the Elvira door or Arc of Elvira, the door in the Muslim era was the main gateway to the city, built in the eleventh century, It was also used as a fortress and you had 3 torres, today only the outer left front door.

In the Albaicín neighborhood to be a high neighborhood, there are several lookouts city, that our walk we stopped first at the Mirador Canvas, which has a view of the city of Granada and the cathedral.

From there we went to Dar Al-Horra Palace, who was then closing did not to know inside, who buys the entrance to the Palace, also has access to the Bañuelo (where Muslims in the time domain, bathing) who also did not get to know this trip.

A Placeta Christ Azucenas is a square on top of the neighborhood, you can also see the city from different angles and already gives you an idea of ​​the view that we would soon find, which is the viewpoint of the view of San Nicoles which is facing the Alhambra, this square has many training street performers.

One thing we have seen a lot in Granada, were people with their guitars playing Flamenco music.

Beside the square is church Santa Isabel La Real, which is well escondidinha, It is beautiful but just to pass, these neighborhood streets hardly goes right car and everything is steep, and yet it has a small trucks and courageous buses that pass there, They need to close the mirror to be able to pass on the street.

Continuing the tour we got to Bow Weights, another ancient port of the ancient city of Granada, next to it has several bars and cool restaurants, but we wanted to see other things and leave to stop at another restaurant that soon we will talk about it.

No Mirante de San Cristobal the most beautiful seconds of Granada, which is next to the San Cristobal church you have a view 360 degrees from the city of Granada and the Alhambra views.

A pity that Church of San Cristobal It was closed, I think it was because of the end of the year.

The next stop was the Granada Largest Mosque, a really beautiful place, with a lovely garden that overlooks the Alhambra.

A Church of San Nicolas, It is under renovation, but you can visit the church tower, You have to pay but it's very cheap, us 2 euros, the visit they have a little history of the church, already caught fire, tacaram fire at the time of a Catholic persecution, then it was used as a military fortress, an interesting story, that made me think of my ancestors who lived in Granada to 1921, what kind of story they participated?

We arrived finally in place that most wanted to see that day, O Mirante de San Nicolas (Saint Nicholas' lookout), this is the place that has the most beautiful view of the city and the Alhambra most cards of Granada and Alhambra are taken from that location.

We take it was late afternoon and got a place with such a beautiful view at the restaurant El Huerto de Juan Ranas, a great place to watch the late afternoon and the lights lit in Alhambra, to drink in the restaurant has a good price, We sat there sipping a cava, the food no longer had the very attractive price, there are no other options, but as we had a very good place and did not want to eat, we were there and it was very nice to see the
Local landscape, with the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada covered with snow in the background.

And so it was the first day.

We had a few things in mind to make, which are the most important points of Granada, I was visiting Alhambra, skiing in the Sierra Nevada and go to the Albaicín neighborhood in viewpoints, We scheduled to go to Alhambra on the second day, But we knew it was hard to get going in Alhambra, many people warned us that we'd grab a long line, because we had not been able to buy tickets over the Internet, We try to buy with a 15 days before the trip and everything was already exhausted, but they also sell a limited amount for the day, and as we had more 2 days so we could try, but if you plan ahead, it is better to buy online, click here to buy online tickets for Alhambra. The hotel staff also warned to get there early a 7 am.

then in second day early in the morning we went to Alhambra, as we had the option of going the other day we did not go as early as the hotel staff spoke, We got there at 8 am of who is walking to that morning is an early time, We went with the car if he had more tickets would exchange the script that day and would go to Sierra Nevada, And that's what happened. when we arrived to buy tickets in Alhambra had a giant queues to buy with card or with cash (they are separated, stay tuned if you do not buy online), passed on 30 minutes and saw that tickets for tours during the day were exhausted and still had to night visit, soon also ended long before we get near the cash to buy, so with that we asked what time he had to get to buy the ticket and the next day it would be 31/12 would open, luckily they would open, but the days 1 e 2 January they close, and they said that there were people who came at 5 am, so even ace 5 am able to buy a ticket, almost die when we learned, and with that as we had no option, we took the car and went to the Sierra Nevada.

Sierra Nevada what to do? we were Sierra Nevada ski na, which is close to Granada some 45 minute drive, before going beyond the Pri I was afraid to drive because of the curves and snow that could have on the road and had never driven in snow, but the hotel receptionist said it was very easy to drive and the road was very safe and we would have no problems, because the weather was great super sunny and really is a safe road, only Waze(GPS) who sent us to the wrong place and lost 1 time that GPS error, I got a little angry because we were wasting time skiing.

Finally we arrived at Sierra Nevada, and we had searched as was the parking as in Europe to stop the car in cities is very expensive, but we saw that had a car 5 euros the day, a super low, We went with this GPS car passing through the city and already was almost on the track, we find great, wishful thinking, because this car is pro staff who was born with skiing on foot and has all the equipment on the planet for snow, and has straight down to the slopes.

When we got to the cashier we saw that he had no where to rent ski equipment, I had to go down to the city, one girl told we buy tickets the track there and down to rent the equipment, only that the descent was immense and still had to walk the slippery ice and the girl still did I buy the ticket for the whole day, It is that it was a 11:30hs, We lost money in it, after trying to get in the city center on foot we saw that it was better to go back to get the car, lose parking money and drive down. So we made it thinking it could not have parking in the center and it would be expensive, luckily I had parking in the center and was the same price 5 euros, but we caught the last wave, so come early.

After all these contingencies were in the center of the ski resort, where is the shops to rent equipment, there also has bars and restaurants, so if you're there go well towards the ski center and see before what kind of ticket purchase not to have the same problem we had, bought by 45 euros more or less the ticket the whole day and only use for skiing the afternoon, we could have paid some 32 euros, because 4 fazendoesqui hours is quite something for those who are not used.

In the center the equipment was very cheap, we thought it 9,90 euros to rent the complete snowboard with the board and the boot, and more 5 euros by the helmet, but search, because I had to for 25 euro the same equipment.

Finally after all this perrengue went skiing and Pri not like skiing was in bars having a beer and lunch while I was skiing.

The Sierra Nevada Ski Resort, It is very good with several tracks of all kinds with instructors and everything, much better than the other two had gone La Molina (Spain) e do Valle Nevado (Chile). The mountain Sierra Nevada is the 2nd largest in Spain.

I was skiing by 4 hours an excellent time, It was very good skiing again, and soon we will go to another Ski station Formigal-Panticosa (Spain).

To enter the site of the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort, click here

And I returned to the center of the ski resort to find the Pri , lunch and take a water and beer I was very thirsty.

After lunch we were a part of the season to play in the snow, do the little angel in the snow and everything, Pri and was willing to do esquibunda and this part had a place to make and had a lot of people doing from small children to adults.
We bought a esquibunda in front of the track by 4 euros.

The Pri loved to esquibunda and very fun, I did not want to stop never down.

After we 2 We had a great time in Sierra Nevada and watching the sunset from above, it was time to leave and return to the hotel to rest.

No third day we talk we had to wake up early sooo ace 4:30h in the morning to get the 5hs in Alhambra queue, it was hard to wake up, but we Uhuu.

We got there and had a 10 or more people in line, our how difficult it was to wait outside until the morning 8 am, that is the time of the opening of the box office, enduring a cold -3 degrees, It dawned only ace also 8h, our feet almost froze, after we buy the tickets had to go back to the car to turn on the hot air to improve the cold and get some rest for the entry that was ace to 9 am, so repeat, Buy your tickets online for the Alhambra.

Speaking a little about Alhambra, It is a palatine city, consists of palaces, gardens, torres, strengths (Alcázar) that housed a veritable city within the city of Granada, It is a very place, but very beautiful with a mixture of cultures and architectures Muslim, Gothic and Medieval, the works that stand out most are Muslim.

Its construction began in Roman times in the ninth century, in the twelfth century it became the residence of the monarch Muhammad ibn Nasr, first monarch of the kingdom Nazari, the palaces of Comares and Lions are one of the main attractions of the complex, They are the fourteenth century.

It is a stunning tour we did on a 5 hours, the maximum you can stay there are five hours, if you want to know in great detail may have to go two days, it has many beautiful places and boarded the AudioGuide then the time will be very short.

It was one of the most beautiful places preserved and we have visited very well worth having to spend so many hours in line, it is wonderful, love.

There also has more new palaces after the resumption of the Catholic Kings expelling Muslims from Spain, like Palace of Charles V.

There are also Turkish Baths.

And a church.

The grounds are beautiful too, very well maintained, with several fountains and flowers, even in winter there are flowers.

This place is hard to describe have to go to know to know how beautiful.

After this culture bath and almost 5 hours, we see a small town close to Granada 4Kms center, call Pulianas and Pulianillas, We went there to see the place where my grandfather Antonio Lopez Gutierrez and my great-grandparents Gumercindo Emilio Gutierrez Rodriguez and Antonia Lopez Alarcon were born and lived for a long time.

We spent in Parish San Juan, where they were baptized and where births were registered, pity that the church was closed.

We went to Del Agua street where was their residence and made the production of sugar beet by, this street is the former city of Pulianillas where at the time my great-grandfather was the mayor of the city, and why they had to go to Brazil, for my great-grandfather for what researched fought with the king and had to leave Spain.

As I said my ancestors lived there since before 1500 up until 1921.
After this encounter with the past, We returned to Granada in the afternoon to see a few things missing to see.

We went to Monastery of San Jeronimo.

after the Parish of Saints Just and Pastor.

And we end on Granada Cathedral which is formed by several churches together, shame that everything was closed for being the last day of the year.

We returned home and rest for the night of New Year in Granada, we in the square del Carmen, for us that we did not plan on doing anything, was pretty cool, with live music, a fireworks display with impressive 1 minute long and look there lol, when we were fireworks at the farm had more fires there, but it was well legal.Na Spanish tradition is to eat 12 we grapes last 12 seconds before the turn of the new year.

Too bad it ended the trip, and the next day we had 8 road hours to return to Barcelona.

Some things in Granada just not giving time to know, then we suggest be a 4 day visit to Granada and Sierra Nevada what to do.