The Alhambra, found just outside the city of Granada, is a Moorish citadel, considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world. If you haven’t seen it you’ve missed a real treat, a mistake which should be rectified as soon as possible.
It’s very easy to get to the Alhambra and well sign-posted. If you’re coming up from the coast on the N323 you’ll see the turn off to your right as you approach Granada. If you’re approaching from the north, on the A92, take the Granada ring road heading south and, once past the city, look out for the Alhambra/Sierra Nevada exit. A plan of the access roads can be found on www.granada.org

An essential thing to do before setting off, however, is to buy your tickets. This can be done by phone, internet, or at your local BBVA Bank. I’ll detail how to go about this at the end of the article. When you have your tickets you’ll see that the visit is split up into sections. Firstly, you will have either a morning, 08.00 to 14.00, or an afternoon, 14.00 to 20.00, visit. Within this the visit is split into 3 sections, the Castle, the Nasri Palace, and the Generalife Gardens. The Nasrid palace entrance is also timed and gives you a window of half an hour to enter. Please make sure you know what time you should be there, and allow for queues. If you miss your slot no amount of begging the guards will get you in!

Now to the visit itself. When you arrive, please ignore anyone who tells you to park at the side of the road, the official carpark is just a little further on, and plenty big enough. Once parked, walk downhill to the ticket office. If you are picking up your tickets here, don’t join the enormous queue (there’s almost always one!) for ticket purchases, go to the separate window for ticket collection. Also in this area you can rent information handsets for a very reasonable price, for which you will need a means of identification. If you’re starting your visit with the Generalife Gardens the entrance is to the right and rear of the ticket offices. If you’re starting with the palace and castle walk past the ticket office, with it on your right, down the hill, then up again and through the arch which will bring you to the Renaissance Palace of Charles V. To find the Castle, walk past this palace and carry straight on. To find the Nasri (Moorish) Palace walk to the end of the Renaissance Palace, turn right and go down the steps and the Palace is to you right. Don’t forget to have a look at the view over the Sacromonte (gipsy quarter) from here.

The complex of buildings and gardens known as the Alhambra started life in the ninth century c.e. as a fortress, and the name means “the red one”. This could refer to the reddish colour of the walls which were made from local clay bricks, or to the fact that the Sultans of Granada very often had red hair. The Nasri Palaces were begun in the thirteenth century c.e. and are the work of two great Sultans, Yusuf I and his son Muhammed V. It is these Palaces that are most emblematic of the Alhambra, and it is here that the famous stucco work decoration and colourful mosaic tiles can be found.

The most famous image of the Alhambra, however, is undoubtedly The Courtyard of the Lions, with the stunning fountain held up by 12 lions. Legend says that this fountain was presented to the Sultan by his Jewish Prime Minister and that the 12 lions represent the 12 tribes of Israel. It is true that Granada had a Jewish Prime Minister, and that under the Nasris the Jews, Moslems and Christians lived peacefully together.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the lions cannot be seen, as they have been removed for restoration. The elements over the centuries have been eating away at the lions to such an extent that some of them barely have faces. As you can see from the photograph, the lions are surrounded by some of the most outstanding stucco work in the Alhambra, held up by slender marble columns. (If you look closely at these columns you can see a thin lead disc at the top and the bottom, which was used to allow the columns to move during earthquakes, thus protecting them.) The idea behind the design of this courtyard was to evoke the desert origins of the Nasris, by representing palm trees surrounding an oasis. Water is a recurring theme in the Alhambra as you will see, with channels and fountains at every turn.
On leaving the Nasri Palaces you’ll find yourself in chambers decorated in Renaissance style for the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Charles V, who spent his honeymoon in the Alhambra. It was during this stay that he ordered the construction of the Renaissance Palace now known as the Charles V Palace.

On the way to the Generalife Gardens and the Summer Palace you’ll pass the Church of St Mary on your left, which stands where the Royal Mosque once stood and, just before you enter the gardens, the Parador of Granada is in front of you. This hotel was originally an Arab Palace in the Medina (town), and later a Franciscan Monastery. The remains of other Arabic dwellings of the Medina can be seen on either side of the path that then takes you to the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace was used by the royal family of Granada as a retreat during the long hot days of summer, and houses the wonderful channel with 52 fountains that brings cool water from the mountains to irrigate the shaded gardens and supply the whole Alhambra complex with fresh water.
On exiting the garden you will conclude your visit and find yourself back at the ticket office. If at all possible I’d recommend doing the visit in this order, but if the timing doesn’t suit you just reverse the order and start with the gardens.

BOOKING DETAILS
1. By phone from Spain, with a credit card, call 902 22 44 60
2. By phone from abroad, with a credit card, call 0034 91 537 9178
3. On line, with a credit card, visit www.alhambratickets.com
4. At your local BBVA Bank, but bear in mind that very often tickets are only on sale from 08.30 to 09.30
5. If you book using the web or a telephone please make sure you take identification with you, such as a driving licence or passport.
6. Prices: Adluts 10,00 E, Over 65s 7,00 E, Gardens only 5,00 E, If booked in advance there is a commission of 0,88 E charged.

Please don’t forget to check what time you have to be at the Nasri Palaces, and I suggest comfortable shoes as there is quite a lot of walking on cobble stones involved in the visit. I hope you’ll find the information provided useful, and enjoy your visit.