Granada, Spain

Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the region of Andalusia, Spain. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of two rivers, Darro and Genil. At an elevation of 738 metres above sea level, it ranks as the 13th-largest urban area of the Spanish Kingdom.

Granada has a rich Moorish and Christian history which can been seen in its grand Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. Its major attraction, and one of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture, is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings - including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.

Things to See & Do

* Alhambra - medieval complex overlooking Granada which is often considered on par with the 7 wonders of the world
* El Albayzin, or Albaicin: The ancient Arab quarter, containing many original houses from the 16th century
* La Catedral de Granada and the Capilla real. A 16th century cathedral containing the tombs the famed Catholic Monarchs who conquered the city
* El Carmen de los martires. A lovely palace with a beautiful botanic garden near the Alhambra.
* Hammam Arab baths

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - Spanish and Catalan
Land Area - 88 km²
Population - 238,000 approx
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC + one hour
International Country Telephone Code - + 34

Port Location -There are ports located at Malaga and Almeira, which are both approximately 120 km from Granada.

Travel Links - Iberia provides daily flights to and from Madrid and Barcelona from the airport situated 12 kilometer, half an hour with normal traffic, from the city. There are also budget flights to and from London, Stanstead, Liverpool, East Midlands, Girona, Frankfurt and Milano airports by Ryan Air, from Gatwick by Monarch, from Barcelona airport by Clickairt and from Barcelona, Rome and Paris airports by Vueling. Connection to the city centre can be either by taxi or by a bus.
Regular buses run from Seville and mufasa as well as some to Cordoba and a few direct services to the port of Algeciras. Malaga is well serviced by buses and is a good place to transit by, if a direct service is not available. The modern and organized bus station is located about 2 miles from the centre. It takes 13 minutes by bus to reach the city center, or reasonably cheap taxis are also available.