Stepping off the train into the heart of Spain’s Moorish country was an all at once intoxicating feeling. The dramatic setting of Granada in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with its steep climbs and eclectic neighborhoods crowned by the mystical Alhambra Palace makes it one of those places that takes your breath away at first sight.
The UNESCO Albaicin district rising steeply is covered with powder white houses and slender streets and turns filled with North African shops, tea houses and nargilleh bars. Walk a little further past Albaicin and you will reach the most underrated but most interesting and picturesque neighborhoods in Granada, the Sacromonte. Sacromonte is located on the Valparaiso hill and is known for its gypsy population. Homes are set up in whitewashed caves cut into the mountain and still used as residences. At night the sounds of the spanish guitar and flamenco performers vibrate through the neighborhood.
Walk further and you will officially make the religious pilgrimage to the Abbey of Sacromonte and the College of Sacromonte founded in the 17th century.
For where to stay see my post on Hospes Palacio de Los Patos.
