Granada

Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.

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 century. 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.The Mulhacen (above left) is named after Muley Abul Hassan, the penultimate Muslim King of Granada in the 15th century, who according to legend was buried on the summit of the mountain.

At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada's unique "mudéjar" style.

As with our other outings Steve and Sheila will collect you from your accommodation at a time you choose and drive you to Granada. The journey takes 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the traffic but is quite attractive following the coast to Motril and then heading inland through the imposing Sierra Nevada. We park in the Alhambra car park collect the tickets and then leave you to enjoy yourselves after showing you where to find the tourist bus and suggesting a visit to the old quarter the Albiacin, before you visit to the palace of the Alhambra. When you have completed your trip, we will be waiting for you in the car park to take you back to your holiday accommodation.