Visiting the Alhambra
The Alhambra is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I have ever discovered during my travels. With its amazing architecture, extensive garden system and magical atmosphere, it is definitely one of my top 5 favorite destinations. I spent about a month discovering Granada before I went to visit the Alhambra, and although I was already familiar with the Arabic architectural style of the area, the site still completely took my breath away.
The history of the Alhambra goes all the way back to the 13th century. Originally built as a military fortress soon it became the royal residence of the Nasrid kindgom. The Alhambra is a complex of various buildings and gardens: the military zone of the Alcazaba and the medina, home to the Nasrid palaces and the Palace of Carlos V - the latter one came as an addition after the end of the Arabic kingdom, during the Renaissance. The Generalife is a palace surrounded by orchards and gardens located east of the Nasrid palaces and served as a resting place for the kings of Granada.
Walking through the complexes takes about 2 hours, but you can spend a lot longer discovering the sites, given the incredible beauty and carefully crafted details of the palaces and gardens. It is worth setting aside a good portion of the day as to have enough time to visit everything. The Alhambra is situated on the top of a hill and you will pass an extensive park with tall, lush trees and little streams flowing through it. This particular park is surprisingly cool and offers relief in the schorching heat of the summer and in itself can be a nice destination to visit before or after the tour of the Alhambra.
Once entering the Alhambra, the first place to visit is usually the Nasrid palaces, for which there is a strict schedule to enter and you have to abide by the hours shown on your ticket if you want to be let in. This site was preserved and restored in amazing detail and makes you wonder about the amount of time and talent that must have gone into designing and executing the intricate decorative elements.
The Alcazaba is the first construction that you will encounter to your left after entering the complexes and you can visit it before or after the Nasrid palaces, depending on your timing. This place is interesting because of its historical role in the protection of the city, but it’s also worthwhile to set aside some time to wander around on the bastions because of the breathtaking vantage points they provide of the city of Granada. This particular spot had me completely frozen with awe and marvel at the beauty of the city that lay at your feet.
The gardens of Generalife are a perfect place to take a rest after the long walks through the complex and it made me think about the huge amounts of water it must take to sustain it throughout the scorching summer heat. There are benches to sit down, flower gardens and fountains every step of the way that entice you to want to spend the whole day there.
I went to visit in May and my recommendation for anyone visiting the Alhambra is to go as early in the morning as possible. The earliest entrance to the Nasrid palaces is usually at 8:30 and there are many reasons why it’s good to take advantage of the earlier visiting hours. One of them being that depending on the time of year, the sun gets relentlessly strong and the air gets extremely hot during the hours between 11AM and 5PM. Therefore, getting in an early start can prevent you from getting a sunstroke and trying to see the site hopping from shade to shade. Another reason is the position of the sun in the morning. The Alhambra is a carefully planned and beautifully arranged set of buildings where the incoming morning light can create some magical effects. If you are planning to take some unique pictures, this can be a good tip to take to heart.
Have you visited the Alhambra already? Feel free to share your experience and pictures in the comments.
