What to see and do in El Albaicín (Granada): from viewpoints to corrals

The Albaicín It is, without a doubt, the best-known neighborhood and one of the fundamental destinations in any tourism trip to Granada.

Located on the hill twin to that of the Alhambra, forms with this great palace complex a very special unit that Unesco has declared as World Heritage.

A walk through the steep alleys of the Albaicín, stopping here and there to enjoy the corners and the panoramic views that appear at every step, it is a unique experience that no one should miss in this city.

What the Albaicín neighborhood is like in Granada

It is always said that the Albaicín It has something of a labyrinth, and in part it is true and its streets maintain the layout of centuries ago.

This is the oldest neighborhood in Granada, originating in a time when an easily defendable location was more important than the comfort of flat land.

For this reason, there are many slopes, which forces you to take any route slowly.

An option for those who do not wish to climb steep streets can be to take a taxi or bus to the top of the hill and travel down the neighborhood.

The labyrinthine character of Albaicín It encourages you to walk aimlessly, letting yourself be guided at every moment by sensations or impulses as you reach each corner.

It is a good option, but we must keep in mind that there are different places that should not be missed, so a tour with some preparation may also be recommended.

How to visit and what to see in the Albaicín

It would be a shame to go the Albaicín and not enjoy the views from the viewpoints, such as San Nicolás, simply for having insisted on walking aimlessly.

A good argument for visit the Albaicín is to follow the trail of the nasrid monuments that are scattered throughout this neighborhood.

We tend to think that these places are only found in the Alhambra, when in reality there is a great monumental Nasrid heritage in the Albaicín and other Granada neighborhoods.

Dobla de Oro, visit of Andalusian monuments in El Albaicín

A recommendation would be to follow the itinerario known as the Golden Double.

It is a journey that allows us to unite culturally and, I would almost say mentally and emotionally, the Albaicín with the Alhambra.

And it is done while discovering some of the city's secrets.

Secrets that are not secrets, since they are known places, but to which we would probably not pay due attention if they were not clearly presented to us.

The itinerary takes its name from the double gold, a coin minted by the Nasrid rulers and that was highly appreciated, both for its value and its beauty, and is a good image for this project.

La Golden Double It is not so much a marked itinerary, but rather a suggestion to search for specific places. They give us the clues and we make the path to our liking.

To follow it, it is best buy a pass which includes the entrance to the Alhambra and monuments that make up the Golden Dobla.

Then, as we are going to cross neighborhoods full of life and beauty where the temptation to detour is permanent, everyone makes their own way.

It is therefore an itinerary to travel calmly, looking for specific places, but as we say, allowing yourself to be tempted by everything we find along the way.

La Golden Double It is an initiative promoted by the Board of Trustees of the Alhambra and Generalife which thus seeks to complete the classic visits with other very interesting but slightly less known places, and which also strengthens the ties between the monumental ensemble and oldest neighborhood.

La Golden Double ofrece two types of tickets, general and nocturnal, and allows visitors to go to the Alhambra one day and, the day before or the next, to the rest of the enclaves.

Entry allows visit six Andalusian monuments, five of them in the Albaicín and one more, the Coal Corral, in the center, in addition to the monumental complex of the Alhambra.

Dar al-Horra Palace in El Albaicín

If we choose to make a visit to the Albaicín Starting at the top so that the walk is downhill, one of the first places to visit is the Dar al-Horra Palace.

It is a truly special place, probably the best example of Nasrid palatine architecture outside the Alhambra.

It is in the Alley of the Nuns, in the area where the origin of Muslim Granada.

Dar Al-Horra means “House of the Honest” and was the last residence of the sultana Aixa, mother of Boabdil, the last Muslim king of Granada.

The building consists of a central patio with a pool, around which the rooms are distributed, and two porches on the smaller sides.

As it is in the upper part of the neighborhood, the views, in this case over another part of Albaicín itself, are exceptional.

Inside there are many inscriptions, which reinforce the idea of ​​palaces as architectural books.

The building and others adjacent to it became the monastery of Santa Isabel la Real, as it continues today.

Church of San Miguel Bajo in El Albaicín

If we start the walk downhill to explore the neighborhood, one of the first stops may be the church of San Miguel Bajo, dominating a small square.

Construction began in 1501 on top of a mosque, which can be easily seen in some parts, such as one of the entrances.

Mirador de San Nicolás in El Albaicín in Granada

Very close, another of the fundamental stops must be the Saint Nicholas' lookout, from where you have some excellent views of the Alhambra.

House of Chapiz in El Albaicín

The next place included in the Golden Fold Route may be the House of the Chapiz, which is located very close to the upper end of the Walk of the Sad.

It is a set of two houses from the Moorish period who belonged to two families of Granadans who converted to Christianity.

Currently it is the headquarters of the School of Arabic Studies, dependent on Higher Scientific Research Council.

From the inside you can only visit the patio, but the Outdoor garden It is a delight, with a pond and, above all, some fabulous views of the Alhambra.

Moorish house Horno de Oro in El Albaicín

Walking around a little, we soon arrived at the Golden Furnace House, an interesting example of moorish house which integrates Islamic and Castilian elements.

It is actually a small nasrid house It has a single floor, to which a second floor was added in the 16th century.

As in most of muslim houses, all its rooms and windows face the patio, an element that centers family life and illuminates the rooms.

Towards the outside, the building originally had no openings, remaining closed, preserving family privacy.

It is also a good example of a place that has had many uses over time.

After the expulsion of the Moorish, the house was neighbors corral until the 20th century, then being acquired by the State and restored.

Nasrid house of Zafra in El Albaicín

If we go down the Walk of the Sad, near where it changes its name to Darro Race, we will find the Nasrid house of Zafra, which takes its name from the secretary of the Catholic kings who received it after the conquest.

The decorative elements of this palace stand out, especially the plasterwork, the carpentry and the remains of mural painting.

El Bañuelo in El Albaicín

A few meters away the next stop could be the Walnut Bath, whom everyone knows as Bathtub because they are smaller in size than the majestic baths of the Alhambra, but they are still truly impressive.

From the street one cannot imagine what is inside.

It is almost a thousand years old and has survived in the basement of a private building. Of these toilets they are said to be the oldest in Spain.

Its location in Darro Race, an important public road, and next to a door, is something characteristic of the andalusian baths.

This must have been a fairly populated area, and perhaps even on the east side of the bath there were a series of shops that opened onto the street. Bañuelo street, which highlights the urban importance of that environment.

Corral del Carbon in Granada

Ya outside the Albaicín neighborhood, in the center of Granada, you can complete the route of the Golden Double visiting the Coal Corral, In the Mariana Pineda street.

It was once a stock market, a place where grain was stored and traded.

It was founded in the 14th century and served as a meeting point for merchants and traders arriving from remote lands.

Al Coal Corral is accessed by a large horseshoe arch sharp brick with inscriptions, one of those wonders that one finds when walk through Granada.

A curious thing is that the building was built without exterior windows to prevent the theft of goods, and its only door was closed at sunset without the merchants being able to leave until dawn.

Thanks to this Golden Fold itinerary some places are discovered that are in the best-known neighborhood of Granada, but it seems that we could pass by without realizing its importance.