Granada itinerary with 11 stops: WordCamp Granada 2018 edition

Looking for an alternative Granada walking tour, off the typical tourist track? Here's an itinerary designed by lifelong locals.

In November 2018 (2 weeks ago if you're reading this right when it's published), the organizers of the first WordCamp Granada not only selflessly put together an event like they'd been doing it all their lives, but they also worked hard on a group activity around the city as an excuse to network and get to know each other better.

And this Granada walking route has nothing to do with typical tourist tours. True, it includes a few classic must-see stops, but it mixes them with others that are almost completely unknown.

The best part of it all? The company (oh, how lovely!) and wandering through the streets to get from one stop to the next.

Granada hides streets that will make you fall in love.

So, with the organizers' permission (Jesús Yesares, you said I could!), I'm taking the liberty of summarizing the route, marking the official stops on the map at the end of the page (in purple), and adding a few of my favorite spots along the way (in pink) as personal recommendations.

Technical details

• Difficulty: easy (there are just a couple of hills, but you can handle them, you'll see).
• Length: 6 km (approximate).
• Time needed: half a day (depending on how long you stop for tapas and photos). 😉
• Start: Paseo del Salón.
• Finish: Plaza Campo del Príncipe.
• Date completed (photos): November, 2018.

Granada Itinerary – WCGranada2018

1. Paseo del Salón

The route starts at a fountain packed with symbolism, the Fuente de las Granadas (which one else?).

It features 4 statues at its base that symbolize:

• Sierra Nevada. If you walk along the gardens tracing the banks of the Genil River from here, chances are you'll spot its white peaks silhouetted against the city.
• La Vega, a fertile plain, well irrigated thanks to its location between rivers and mountains, encompassing up to 41 towns, including Granada, and historically supplying these localities.
• The Darro River, which enters Granada through the Paseo de los Tristes, flows beneath the city, and re-emerges right next to this spot to join the Genil torrent (marked on the map).
• The Genil River, the main tributary of the Guadalquivir River, which, despite autumn rains, wasn't carrying much water (much to the delight of the ducks, who were 'living their best life').

It sits in Paseo del Salón, named as such because the city's ballroom used to be located here (now a public library).

2. Fuente de las Batallas

Remember that on this Granada route, the most important thing is to enjoy the journey.

For example, to get from Fuente de las Granadas to Fuente de las Batallas square, you'll likely stroll down Carrera de la Virgen, a charming tree-lined pedestrian boulevard where there's always something going on:

• An open-air exhibition,
• a pop-up market,
• Christmas lights,
• the floral offering to the Virgen de las Angustias (September 15th)...

This street actually takes its name from the latter.

If the sun is shining and you're lucky, when you arrive at Fuente de las Batallas (the city's kilometer 0), you'll see why it could just as easily be called 'The Rainbow Fountain'. 😉

By the way, when you're here remember that this entire square is the last great vault built at the beginning of the 20th century to cover the course of the Darro River through Granada.

What's more, beneath it still lie the remains of the bridges that once dotted this area to cross from one side to the other. It makes you want to travel back in time to see it, doesn't it?

3. Plaza Bib-Rambla

As you head toward the next stop, you'll pass through what is known as Puerta Real. Although today there is no actual gate.

If a local arranges to meet you at Puerta Real, stand right in front of the Post Office building if you want them to find you. 🙂

Plaza Bib-Rambla was considered Granada's old 'shopping center' due to its central location next to the silk and fabric market of the Alcaicería. I've marked the area on the map so you can lose yourself in its narrow streets.

As a fun fact, the Fountain of the Giants or Gigantones in the center of the square is one of the oldest in Granada.

I remember as if it were yesterday (though it definitely isn't…) that Bib-Rambla was always one of my favorites during my college days when the Cruces de Granada festival arrived in early May. It was wonderful to see Granada dressed in flowers, with altars and carnation crosses set up in every single square in the city.

If you get the chance (and don't mind crowds), don't miss this festival.

4. Cathedral / Plaza de las Pasiegas

This was one of the biggest revelations of the route.

I had never paid special attention to the Granada Cathedral, but the organizers put together a historical recap worthy of a multi-season Netflix series.

1. Despite being one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in the world, it only has one small tower, when in reality its architect had designed 2 massive towers that, had they been built, would have competed with the Alhambra itself as the city's emblem.
2. The cathedral's bell tower deserves several chapters of its own:
   • One of its bells was banned from ringing for 100 years for accidentally 'killing' a bell ringer. What?!
   • It had its very own version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame until recently, with a bell ringer who lived in it for almost his entire life, rarely ever leaving.
   • The Catholic Monarchs are buried next to Joanna the Mad and Philip the Handsome in its Royal Chapel, even though Isabella I made it very clear that she preferred to be buried in the San Francisco Monastery, next to the Alhambra. No respect for the dead anymore… :O
3. The square that opens up in front of the cathedral doors is called las Pasiegas because this was where the wet nurses gathered—women brought from Cantabria (specifically, from the Pas Valley) by Granada's nobility due to their great reputation as nannies.

How could I live 5 years in Granada and not know all this? As a friend would say, 'a bit embarrassing'…

5. Plaza Isabel la Católica

Before reaching Plaza de Isabel la Católica, where you'll find the statue of Isabella receiving Columbus to commemorate the 'discovery' of America (which was anything but a discovery…), you can take the opportunity to stop by Corral del Carbón.

It's a Nasrid-era caravanserai in mint condition. It used to serve as an inn for merchants, a wholesale food market, a coal warehouse, and even an open-air theater (corral de comedias).

Its entrance arch carved with Mozarabic details and its vine-covered courtyard are among those spots I never get tired of seeing whenever I visit Granada.

And when you finally reach Plaza Isabel la Católica, check out the massive avenue branching off from it, Gran Vía.

If you're lucky and visit in autumn, you'll get to see its Ginkgo Biloba trees turning 100% yellow. What an explosion of color!

6. Plaza Nueva

I took the liberty of changing the order of the original route to slip in my suggestions.

Head up to Plaza Nueva, home to the Royal Chancery, the building where the entire Kingdom of Granada was once judged.

From here you'll also see the quirky tiled tower of the Church of San Gil and Santa Ana, the start of the famous Paseo del Darro (hang on a sec, we're going to take a ‘delicious’ detour), and the Alhambra's Torre de la Vela up high.

Speaking of 'delicious'… are you starting to feel peckish?

Well, this is a perfect area for tapas. I've marked several bars/restaurants on the map that I've tried or heard of (special shout-out to Los Manueles), but it's just to give you an idea of where to look.

There are plenty of authentic spots in this area with great tapas. You know, those small dishes served for free with every drink you order. I know what I'm talking about because they (partially) kept me fed throughout my university years. 😉

The only thing to avoid is spots that look tailor-made for tourists. They're easy to spot: posters with food photos, menus in endless languages, overly exotic dishes (heads up: Arabic food here is authentic and delicious, so that's not considered 'exotic' in this city).

7. Casa de Porras

And speaking of Arabic delicacies… have you tried Baklava? Up for a mint tea? Would you rather swap the tapa for a plate of lamb and couscous?

Keep walking to Calderería Nueva or, as I like to call it, the street of teahouses (entering the Albaicín neighborhood).

My favorite is the Alfaguara teahouse, but that has more to do with my student days than any real differences between the local spots. So just step into whichever one catches your eye, and enjoy your meal!

If you follow this street until its name changes to Cuesta de San Gregorio, you'll pass by Casa de Porras, a building belonging to the University of Granada that isn't open to the public.

So, why is it on this route?

Because the organizers of WCGranada2018 are quite the jokers and included it as a challenge to see if we could find it. 😉

Well, buckle up because it's about to get interesting…

Because my most important detour suggestions are coming right up, and here there really is a risk of getting lost:

⫸ Placeta de los Carvajales Viewpoint

If you walk a bit further, you'll come across a lesser-known (or at least less famous than the next one) viewpoint overlooking the Alhambra: the Carvajales viewpoint.

As you can see, the panoramic view is gorgeous, and if you don't feel like climbing much higher, you can happily settle for this one.

However, if you want an even wider panoramic perspective (without a neighbor's TV antenna photobombing your shot), then it's time to head uphill into the heart of the Albaicín.

⫸ San Nicolás Viewpoint

The San Nicolás viewpoint is the most famous in Granada. You only need to look at the photo we took from there to understand why:

But don't stop there. Pay attention to the walk up here through tiny alleys, whitewashed houses, and courtyards overflowing with flowers (even in the middle of autumn). What more could you ask for?

Well, walking back down via a different route through the Albaicín (let your eyes and feet guide you downhill) to keep soaking up the scenery on your way to the next stop:

8. El Paseo de los Tristes

When you reach this gorgeous street from the Albaicín, the first thing you see on the opposite bank of the Darro River is the old Hotel Reuma (a nickname given to it due to its dampness), which also ended up being a hospital and could easily inspire a great horror movie script. 

From here, if you walk towards Plaza Nueva along the Acera del Darro, you'll come across the Zafra Convent, the Zafra House-Museum, and the ancient Arab baths of El Bañuelo.

Are you doing this route on the last day of the week? Then the lines you see at the last 2 are because admission is free on Sundays. Make the most of it!

9. Mirador de la Churra

Keep going along the riverbank and pick your own path to reach one of the least-known spots on this route, the Mirador de la Churra:

• You can head back to Plaza Nueva, walk up Cuesta Gomérez (which heads towards the Alhambra), and turn left into an alleyway towards Placeta de la Miga to finally reach the viewpoint via Almanzora Alta.
• Or you have the option of entering through an alley behind the Church of San Gil and Santa Ana (marked on the map) and heading along Almanzora Baja until you reach the viewpoint (even if Google Maps doesn't show the connection, it's there, trust me). This last one is my recommendation, since you'll pass the first one later on.

From the Mirador de la Churra, the views are very different: the Alhambra disappears behind your back, and below your feet you can see part of the city center (cathedral included), the Albaicín and Sacromonte neighborhoods, and even the city's ancient defense wall to the left.

And you'll likely have the scenery all to yourself, or almost.

10. Puerta del Sol Washhouse

Now then, from the Mirador de la Churra, continue to Placeta de la Miga, exit onto Cuesta Gomérez, and keep going towards the Puerta de las Granadas without actually reaching it, until you find Cuesta de los Infantes on your right.

Do you find it funny that streets here are called 'Cuesta' (slope)? Nope, it's no coincidence. 😉

Although once again Google Maps overlooks certain alleys and narrow flights of stairs, the distance to the Puerta del Sol washhouse is much shorter than it looks if you dare to venture down paths not marked on the map.

That's the fun part of the adventure: discovering Granada step by step and turning back if you make a wrong turn.

By the way, don't just stick to the view of the washhouse. The panoramic view of Granada from here is very different from what you've been seeing along the route, and it's well worth it too.

11. Plaza Campo del Príncipe

To wrap things up, this WCGranada2018 Route reached Campo del Príncipe, in the Realejo neighborhood.

An ideal spot to recharge your batteries after the walk and share experiences in good company over some delicious Granada tapas.

I've marked Taberna Tofe on the map because that's the one we tried and we loved the paellas, but I'm sure any other place would do the trick.

Where to sleep

You have a thousand places to choose from (and I'm definitely falling short):

• With or without views of the Alhambra.
• In a cave house or in more conventional accommodation.
• Hostels, hotels, guesthouses, a room in a shared home…

Our experience

We picked the Hotel Saray for an average of 52.7€/night, 2 people without breakfast.

I have mixed feelings about this hotel:

• Its location is perfect if, like us, you need to attend an event at the Palacio de Congresos. Otherwise, it's a bit far from downtown.
• The facilities are very good. You can tell it's a 4-star hotel.
• The beds are super comfortable and you barely hear any noise from the other rooms.
• The front desk staff was not very friendly at all.
• They have pretty strict check-in and check-out policies.
• They are not very eco-friendly. They changed my towels every day even though I left them hung up according to instructions to reuse them.
• Breakfast is expensive (even more so if you book it through Booking, don't do it!)
• When we arrived, they offered us the cheaper breakfast (for 10€ instead of the 14€ Booking charges), but they didn't warn us that we had to book it 1 day in advance. One morning we wanted to try it, but when we went down for breakfast they told us they had to charge us 12€ and wouldn't listen to our explanations.
• On the bright side, Flamboyant café is very close to the hotel and their toasted mollete rolls with tomato make for a delicious breakfast. 😉

I'll leave the choice to you. 🙂

Useful links

• Original WCGranada2018 route with links summarizing the history and some fun facts about each destination.
• 5% discount when booking your travel insurance with IATI.
• Hotel deals in Granada.
• Flights to Granada: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo, and Vueling.

Now what

Point #1: WCGranada2018 Organizers, THANK YOU!

The event organization was fantastic (I told you guys repeatedly), but you completely stole my heart with this Granada route. 🙂

Point #2: Have you checked out all the spots I've mentioned?

Then you've earned a good siesta or, at the very least, an early bedtime. Because tomorrow it's time for... visiting the Alhambra!

It's a real tomorrow for me, although you can read it whenever you like right here.

Do you know of any other spots in Granada that are easy to add to this route? Tell me in the comments so I can add them to the list of suggestions.

Map