Tourist Information

Granada stands at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. The population of Granada is between 250,000 and 350, 000 depending on the source. The wild fluctuation to Granada is because of being a student city with a large amount of people coming from outside to study.

In January there are lots of blue skies and it is warm when the sun is shining but it gets cold at night and there are occasional frosts. The best time to visit Granada is in the spring and autumn when the temperature is just perfect with warm sunny days. During July and August it can be very hot and some days the temperature reaches 40C. Granada has a dry heat which is much more bearable than the humid heat. There is very little rainfall although every year there are some spells when it rains very heavily.

Granada is the opposite of most cities, because in the holidays it is much quieter than at other times. The reason for this is that the students go home to their villages and in the summer many people go to the beach. All Spanish cities have a vibrant nightlife usually involving consuming copious quantities of cubatas (spirits mixed with a long drink) and staying up late, Granada is no exception.
There are two main zones full of bars. Pedro Alarcón attracts a generally younger set of people 18-22 and the area around Plaza Nueva and the Calle Elvira maybe a bit older. In the winter there are often bands playing in the bars, the best way to find out what is going on is to go to bars and look at the posters on the wall, (a good place to find posters is the Telón or the Pata Palo just off the Gran Vía) or go by word of mouth. There used to be a lot of jazz and blues but music in bars is becoming less common because the authorities are more strict about noise levels and complaints by the neighbours than before. There is a lot of Jazz and Flamenco at the Eshavira in the Calle Elvira. They don't charge an entrance fee but they increase the price of drinks when there is music playing.

History
From the time historical records began Granada was ruled by many Caliphs, Arabic sultans and dynasties. The Arabic/Moslem empire once stretched right up into the north of Spain. The various Christian groups settled their differences, joined together and steadily drove the Arabs out of Spain. Granada was the last stronghold and finally succumbed to Isabel and Ferdinand (the catholic monarchs) in 1492. The Moslems and the Jews were forced to leave the country or convert to Christianity. A period of what would nowadays be described as ethnic cleansing ensued. At the same time Christopher Columbus came to Granada to ask Isabel and Ferdinand for a grant to build ships so that he could conquer the Americas.

The Alhambra
Granada has its usual quotient of churches, museums etc. which is typical for a southern European city. However, Granada has the Alhambra which is considered by some to be one of the 10 wonders of the world. In case you don't know, the Alhambra is a massive castle constructed over many centuries. It consists of gardens, fortifications and sumptuous palaces. It was the home of many of the Arabic Sultans who ruled the whole province so I suppose for centuries it received the optimum in interior decoration and architecture. If you read the Koran it continually repeats the idea that heaven is a garden with running water. From this perspective you could say that the Alhambra is an Arabic attempt to create heaven on earth. Nowadays it receives 8000 visitors per day and is Spain's most visited monument. Even the biggest philistine would be impressed.